A new ‘bus pass card’ system has been launched for over 21,000 police personnel in the city to travel for free on government buses while on official duty.
This has been introduced following conflicts between transport staff and police personnel last year at some locations in the State. Last May, a video of a police constable refusing to buy a ticket while travelling on a government bus in Nanguneri went viral.
In September 2021, Chief Minister M.K.Stalin made an announcement on the floor of the Assembly that the police personnel from the rank of police constable to inspector would be given ‘Smart Identity cards’ to travel in buses on official duties within the district.
Based on the announcement, the Director General of Police/Head of Police Force Shankar Jiwal furnished the following details of police personnel in the State: 3,191 Inspectors, 8,425 Sub-Inspectors and 1,13,251 Special Sub-Inspectors and Grade-II constables. The government accorded sanction for a sum of ₹29.96 crore towards issuance of cards to the police personnel.
These passes will allow them to travel on town buses and mofussil buses within the revenue districts where police stations/ offices are located. Pass holders are not permitted to travel in SETC buses. The existing practice of the warrant system for inter-district travel would continue, said the order.
The Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner A.Arun on Tuesday launched the new scheme by handing over the cards to 10 police personnel. T. Prabhushankar, the managing director of Metropolitan Transport Corporation, was present on the occasion. A senior police officer said, “We plan to give these cards to 21,817 police personnel in the city. In the first phase, we are going to issue 11,021 cards.”
Published - March 13, 2025 10:24 pm IST
