The document discusses minibus transportation services in Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu, India. It notes that while 250 permits are allocated to each district, Virudhunagar currently only has 127 permits in use, serving 50 routes with 108 minibuses operated by 28 individuals. The majority of routes and vehicles are concentrated in Sivakasi, Rajapalayam, and Srivilliputhur taluks. It identifies a need to expand road infrastructure and reduce fees/taxes to increase coverage of rural areas not currently served by minibus routes. Prospects for improved rural connectivity and development would increase if these issues were addressed.

1. Prospects of Minibus Services
in Virudhunagar District
R. Muthu Krishnaveni,
Assistant Professor
Saiva Bhanu Kshatriya College,
Aruppukottai

2.  Public Road Transportation in India is provided by State
Road Transport Corporation with in each state and union
territories of India.
 offers intercity and interstate bus services
 offered by government and private bus operators
 covers the urban and semi-urban areas
 has to extent their cover to the rural area
 For the purpose of rural transportation, the government
of Tamil Nadu introduced “minibus service scheme”
Introduction

3. Minibus

4.  Minibuses scheme was introduced in 1988 but it could not
succeed. It was reintroduced in 1997 and it was popular at
the end of 1999.
 Minibus helps the rural area people for their transportation
needs.
 Most of rural and semi-urban people depend on minibus
for their transportation.
 The effective and efficient running of minibus depends
upon the legal formalities to getting permits, attitude of
the passenger’s growth of minibus service and number of
permits to their area.
Statement of Problem

5.  This study confines to the minibus transportation in
Virudhunagar District, needs of minibus
transportation and prospects of minibus services.
Scope of the Study

6.  Study on minibus services in Virudhunagar District
 Needs for minibus services
 Prospects of minibus services
Objectives of the Study

7.  The study is designed as descriptive as well as
analytical one. Considerable data will be gathered
from secondary source.
 Sources of data
 For this study, secondary data has been collected from
Government official website and Minibus operators
Association.
Methodology

8.  Under the minibus service scheme, totally 7000
permits, 250 permits are allowed to each districts of
Tamil Nadu except Chennai. In Virudhunagar District,
there are eight taluks. But six taluks have minibus
services. Out of 250 permits, 127 permits are availed
to operate and the remaining permits are unavailed.
At present, out 127, 108 permits are used to minibus
services and remaining permits are idle. 108 minibuses
(permits) are plied by 28 operators in 50 routes.
These details are described in Table 1, 2 and 3.
Minibus Services in Virudhunagar
District

9. S.No. Taluks Number of Minibuses Percentage
1. Sivakasi 30 27
2. Rajapalayam 20 19
3. Srivilliputhur 19 18
4. Virudhunagar 14 13
5. Sattur 13 12
6. Aruppukottai 12 11
TOTAL 108 100
Table 1 - Minibuses in Virudhunagar
District

10. S.No. Taluks Number of Routes Percentage
1. Srivilliputhur 11 22
2. Sivakasi 10 20
3. Rajapalayam 9 18
4. Virudhunagar 7 14
5. Sattur 7 14
6. Aruppukottai 6 12
TOTAL 50 100
Table 2- Minibus Routes in
Virudhunagar District

11. S.No. Taluks Number of Operators Percentage
1. Srivilliputhur 7 25
2. Sattur 5 18
3. Rajapalayam 5 18
4. Virudhunagar 4 14
5. Aruppukottai 4 14
6. Sivakasi 3 11
TOTAL 28 100
Table 3 - Minibus Operators in
Virudhunagar District

12.  Lay the new and extension roads for uncovered and under-
covered villages
 Improve the existing road and road condition(because
some of roads are along border of pond)
 Maintain the existing road and road condition
 Liberalise the existing restrictions
 Reduce the tax and permit fee for stage carriage
 Provide welfare measures in starting and terminal places
 Provide shelter facility in starting and terminal places
Need of Minibus service

13.  The Government of India paves rural road under the scheme of
“Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana”. Even to-day, many of the
villages have mud road facility. Most of the villagers have to walk to
reach their destinations. Proper road facility shall improve the
transportation facility
 Virudhunagar District has totally 1891 rural habitation as per TWAD
Board record. These rural habitations have the population more
than 100 families. But only 109 rural habitations had been covered
under minibus service scheme.
 The policy maker should identify the rural habitation not have road
facility and transport facility. He should pave the road and provide
concession in permit fees and tax to ply the minibus to the under-
covered and uncovered rural areas. He should extent number
permits allotted to the each district.
Prospectus of Minibus Service

14.  Rural connectivity is one of the key factors for the
socio-economic development of the State. The
government of Tamil Nadu introduced the Minibus
service scheme for purpose of rural connectivity. But
this scheme was not fully utilised to cover the rural
area due to lack of road, poor road condition and
heavy permit fees and tax. Hence the government of
Tamil Nadu should take necessary steps to rectify
those problems.
Conclusion