Tirupur: With only 40-50% of buses operated in Coimbatore and Tirpur districts, the indefinite strike called by the TNSTC employees entered the fourth day on Sunday.
The normalcy was affected less comparatively as it was weekend but two state-run buses were involved in the accidents in the neighbouring districts.
"An unidentified man was hit by a TNSTC bus at Maruthamalai foothills. The man was seriously injured and admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. The windshield of the bus also got damaged as bus driver A Imaya Bharathi, a newly-joined TNSTC driver, lost control and hit a tree," said a police source.
In another incident, a state-run bus driven by a temporary driver met with an accident at Sheriff Colony in Tirupur. However, no person sustained injuries but the vehicle's windows were damaged, said the police.
Sources said only 69% of the 526 state-run buses in Coimbatore rural areas were operated while more than 50% in Coimbatore city. In Tirupur district, about 40% of the 501 buses were operated.
"We have support of more than 80% of the TNSTC employees and only few Anna Thozhil Peravai (ATP)-affiliated employees worked on Sunday. Many buses were operated with the help of school bus drivers. But it would be difficult for the TNSTC to manage during week days," said N Subramani, treasurer of Tirupur TNSTC CITU.
During morning hours, there was chaos in Tirupur's new bus stand over timings of state-run buses.
Tourist buses and private buses fleeced the passengers. In Kangeyam, a private bus was detained by the people due to the fleecing. The bus conductor had collected Rs 65 instead of Rs 40 for the service between Palani and Erode.
