In October 2023, Alby John Varghese, a 2013-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, took charge as the Managing Director of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai. His appointment marked a significant shift, as an IAS official had not helmed the government body for over two decades.
From implementing an electronic ticketing system that now accounts for 99.5% of transactions, to expanding social welfare schemes like the Vidiyal Payanam Scheme and the Singara Chennai Mobility Card, Alby’s tenure has been marked by a strong emphasis on improving efficiency and passenger experience.
In an interview with Citizen Matters, Alby offers an insight into the plans and ongoing efforts for MTC to provide safe, reliable, and sustainable transport services in Chennai.
Excerpts from the interview:
Experience of heading MTC in Chennai
MTC did not have an IAS official as a Managing Director in the past 22 years until you took charge in October 2023. Having held offices of different portfolios, how did your experience feed into your current office of MD of MTC in Chennai?
Transport was a new sector for me. I had considerable experience in the urban sector but transport was not one of those.
Someone who has grown up in the same sector would know the ins and outs but might not have a bird’s eye view. Someone from outside might not know the ins and outs of the system but could bring in exposure from other sectors. Both scenarios have pros and cons. It has generally been an interesting learning curve for me to understand how the public transport system works.
I was fortunate to have a good support staff and was able to get into the thick of things very soon. The system of having an IAS official was also new to the staff.
I had the privilege to be in this sector during its transformational period. Transport is a service sector, so it is very difficult to make an operational profit. What we are aspiring for is to maintain pre-determined quality standards, for which, the government will provide viability gap funding. We have been able to get viability gap funding for around 50% of our buses.
In the past year, we have introduced an electronic ticketing system with 99.5% of our ticketing being done through electronic mode now. Our digital transactions have crossed 2.5% and we are aiming for 20% by the year’s end. We have introduced the Singara Chennai mobility card now which is picking up.
We are implementing an intelligent transport system wherein we have fixed GPS devices on the buses to track them via customer apps. We have plans to install 500 boards at bus stops to show bus locations.
So far, it has been a highly satisfying tenure for me.
Read more: GPS speakers, panic buttons, pink buses and more: What the MTC rider in Chennai can look forward to
On women-friendly initiatives in Chennai’s MTC buses
How is the reception for the Vidiyal Payanam Scheme? Are you planning to expand the scheme to more Chennai buses?
The reception has been really good. The scheme was applicable in around 1,490 buses initially. We have expanded it to another 140 buses last year. Contrary to popular opinion, it has been good for the MTC as well because the government is compensating for the revenue loss. It encourages more people to take buses.
MTC introduced panic buttons in the Chennai buses to ensure women’s safety and attend to emergencies. How aware are the passengers of this? What kind of complaints do you generally receive from it?
The number of real complaints we have received through panic buttons is less. We are looking into the reasons for it. We are trying to integrate the panic buttons into the MTC customer app to make it more accessible.
The CCTV cameras installed in MTC buses have been very useful though. We have also pasted stickers declaring that CCTV cameras are installed on the buses. When a crime occurs on the buses, CCTV cameras have given us enough material to pin on the perpetrator.
When looked at from a women’s safety angle, the number of complaints we have received is very disproportionate to the assumption of harassment in buses. We are working with the Gender and Policy Lab on this matter.
Read more: How can MTC win back Chennaiites as fuel prices surge?
On increasing the efficiency of MTC buses in Chennai
There has been a long-pending demand to increase the number of small MTC buses in Chennai to ensure last-mile connectivity. What is MTC planning to do about it?
It is in the cards. As you know we have a deficiency in big buses as well. At peak hour timings, the buses run beyond their original capacity. We are addressing this issue on priority this year. We will look into increasing connectivity and feeder services in the coming year.
One of the complaints from the passengers is that the number of buses routed through the residential areas has reduced over the years. Has that been the case?
This is very subjective. Over the years, our transport options have also increased, and our perception of frequency has also changed. About 20 years ago, we would have been okay waiting 20 minutes for a bus. Now, even if it is 10 minutes, we tend to complain that there are no sufficient buses. It makes sense that when people’s aspirations increase, we should also meet the demand.
While we may not be able to completely match the public’s aspirations/demands in this regard, we have taken cognisance of this issue. To address this, we are increasing the number of buses and feeder services. This year, we are increasing our fleet from the existing 3,300 buses to 4,300 with 1000 new electric buses, which would be very beneficial in addressing this issue.