Disabled cricketer denied bus entry, SETC staff suspended in Tamil Nadu

MADURAI: A State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) conductor was suspended after he prevented Indian disabled cricket team captain C Shivakumar from boarding a toilet-attached bus plying from Koyambedu to Madurai on Tuesday.

The conductor, Raja, refused to allow the cricketer, popularly known as Sachin Siva, citing that concession passes were not applicable in these types of buses. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media. Raja could be seen using abusive words and threatening to kill him.

After a heated argument, Sachin Siva staged a protest in front of the bus. He was forced to travel in another government bus, where there was no toilet after police personnel pacified him. Following the incident, he posted a video on social media.

In the video, he said the government had instructed transport corporations to allow persons with disabilities (PwDs) to travel with concession fare in all buses except AC buses. “It is not free-of-cost, the government would pay the remaining amount to the transport corporations. In such a situation, denying PwDs to travel in toilet-attached buses is condemnable.

I was able to get into another bus. It would be difficult for a person with low vision or severely disabled person if they are asked to get into another bus. Government has given certain priority to us, yet the conductors working in transport corporations pose a hurdle for implementation of the scheme,” he said.
Speaking to TNIE, SETC Madurai depot assistant manager Davamani said the conductor was suspended based on the video, as per instructions given by SETC headquarters.