Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)
Bantwal, Apr 18: Passengers, who were frustrated after waiting endlessly for the arrival of buses plying on Dharmasthala route, withheld a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus that came after a long wait, and stopped it from plying further. The frustration of the people was further compounded by the insensitive and irresponsible response of the controller posted at the KSRTC office here, after which the official was given a thorough dressing down. These incidents
occurred on the night of Thursday April 16.
After coming to know of the incident, a head constable from the town police station here arrived on the sport, forced the protesters to move aside, and allowed the bus to move ahead. The people got wild after this head constable, instead of speaking to the KSRTC official and arrange for additional buses from the local depot, went back after giving the passengers some unsolicited advice.
Copy of petition
As a KSRTC bus going to Dharmasthala from Mangaluru which reached here at 7.30 pm had over 100 passengers, most of the people waiting here continued to be stranded at B C Road. About three to four buses which normally move on this route played truant thereafter. The next bus which came at 9.30 also was overflowing with passengers.
People who were fed up by the long wait extending to several hours, again protested by not allowing this bus to go towards its destination.
The people were further enraged at the fact that the KSRTC official, instead of discharging his duties and trying to provide relief to passengers, began chatting with the owner of a shop located in the nearby commercial complex.
It is apparent that the KSRTC officials, in spite of knowing well that the corporation's income can be augmented by efficiently managing buses on Dharmasthala route, have no interest in achieving this objective. Repeated pleas and petitions by people requesting KSRTC to run additional buses during morning and evening hours have fallen on deaf ears. The passengers are left high and dry because of this attitude of KSRTC, and many of them are seen hurling choicest abuses at the officials of the
corporation.
When private contract carriage buses began operating on this route, KSRTC buses started to feel the heat and was competing with private operators and providing good service to the people. After the contract carriage buses went off the roads, KSRTC has owned a stance that is not commuter-friendly. Many regular commuters, who wait for buses on this route, are forced to rely on some other vehicles to reach their destinations at least a few times every week.
The KSRTC officials seem to be testing the patience of the passengers. This has been proved by the fact that earlier petitions on the issue have not evoked any positive response from these officials. The passengers have now warned that they will protest by stopping KSRTC buses on highway if their grievances are not addressed immediately.
KSRTC officials claim that there is shortage of conductors and drivers for their buses plying on Dharmasthala route. Many of the bus staff are from outside and district, and they go on unscheduled leave for long periods, it is said. In view of this never ending problem, the passengers have requested the transport department and district administration to permit contract carriage buses to be operated on this route.