Sivaganga Regional Transport Officer has warned that bus permits would be cancelled if operators at the Madurai M.G.R. bus terminus (Mattuthavani) refuse to board passengers traveling to Tirupattur.
A large volume of buses operate from Madurai toward destinations such as Karaikudi, Devakottai, Thanjavur, and Pudukottai via Tirupattur in Sivaganga district, as there are no direct buses dedicated exclusively to Tirupattur from Madurai.
Located 62 km away, Tirupattur is heavily reliant on these passing services. However, persistent complaints arose that buses bound for neighbouring towns were regularly passing by or refusing to pick up Tirupattur-bound passengers at the Mattuthavani terminal, and denying them vacant seats when they did board.
Following a continuous stream of grievances from commuters and social activists, an official conciliation meeting was convened at the Tirupattur Tahsildar’s office.
Deputy Tahsildar Kannan presided over the meeting, which was attended by RTO Karuppanan, and public who lodged complaints.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Karuppanan emphasised that buses at the Mattuthavani terminal must not turn away passengers heading to Tirupattur and must allow them to occupy any available empty seats.
He cautioned that failure to comply would result in immediate permit cancellations and potential route modifications under the District Collector’s orders. He also extended the directive to buses originating from Karaikudi, warning operators not to block Tirupattur passengers from seating.
Inspector of Police Praveen Danny said that law enforcement would register formal cases against bus crew members if future complaints regarding passenger refusal were reported.
Published – November 03, 2026 09:24 pm IST
