The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) - Chennai issued a notice on Saturday to its technical crew to carry out duty on alternate days to make sure all old vehicles are primed for fitness test. MTC has a total of 3,584 buses running across Chennai among which 300 were carrying out operations everyday during the lockdown as a commute for government employees and corporation workers to and fro from their workplace and back home. Apart from the 300 buses, there are the remaining unused vehicles in the 33 depots across the city owing to the overall suspension of public transport services.

As many as 1,775 buses will have their fitness certificates (FCs) expiring in June and are in need to be renewed. These vehicles will have to be put up for maintenance and repair along with the replacement of worn-out spare parts at FC units in the depots. Instructions have now been passed out to workers in these units to be present at the depots to see to it that the buses are cleared for fitness test, which will be overseen by the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs). As per an internal circular that has been released, about 50% of the workforce will reportedly be taking up duties on alternate days.