Passengers drenched as rainwater leaks through roof of TNSTC bus

Passengers on TNSTC bus in Madurai cover heads due to rainwater leaking from roof holes, highlighting maintenance issues.

Passengers onboard a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus in Madurai on Tuesday had to cover their heads while travelling from Melur to Sekkipatti as rainwater started leaking inside from several holes on the bus roof.  

The TNSTC bus started from Melur bus stand around 6 pm and within few minutes rain started pouring outside, said Jeeva, a passenger from Kesampatti.  As the rain continued for about 10 minutes, water started leaking from some of the holes on the roof and window corners.  

When the rain turned intense, all holes started leaking water. Passengers, who initially stood up from their seats to avoid getting wet, were left with no option other than to cover their heads before getting fully drenched, he added. 

While elderly passengers covered their heads with cloth and hands, mothers covered infants with their saree and shawls. The incident was just a precursor to what was yet to come when the northeast monsoon started in the middle of October. A similar problem existed in TNSTC buses operated in routes such as Sekkipatti, Sirukudi and Kunnarampatti

“As least some repair works to avoid leakage in buses should be carried out before the onset of the northeast monsoon as thousands of people from villages are dependent only on government buses,” he said.