TN govt buses to stop at only vegetarian hotels for food; new rule irks many

TN government buses will be barred from stopping at hotels serving non-vegetarian food along highways, as only restaurants serving vegetarian foods have been permitted to participate in bidding process to get license this year.

Government buses of SETC, TNSTC Villupuram and five other corporations can halt only at eateries with licences.

After the transport department received several complaints from the public about poor quality and high prices of food at the licensed restaurants, it inspected hotels along Chennai-Tambaram national highway and found five restaurants at Vikravandi selling unhealthy food, after which government buses were barred from stopping at these eateries.

The department has introduced many new tender conditions. Only those restaurants with clean washrooms, CCTV cameras, hygienic kitchens, computerised billing systems and complaint boxes can participate in the tender process. In case of violations or overpricing, the licence will be cancelled.

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But the clause that only vegetarian hotels can apply for the license has drawn flak from different quarters. Authorities said that it would be easier to maintain hygiene if meat was not involved in the cooking process, as most of the complaints received were from non-vegetarian hotels.

Not only passengers, even drivers and conductors of the government buses have also condemned this decision by the transport department.

In response, transport authorities said that passengers are left with plenty of options once they reach a bus stand and this decision was an attempt to avoid overpricing of food.