Employers Vs Employees! Bus Owners Check on Errant Drivers/Conductors
Members of Dakshina Kannada district Bus Owners Association; and Canara Bus Owners Association launched a week-long exercise starting today, 16 October 2017 to discipline bus drivers and conductors of both Service and City buses, on various issues pertaining to running the bus service smoothly and effectively without any complaints from the passengers.
Mangaluru: As the saying goes “That you can’t straighten up a dog’s tail, even if you put it inside a pipe- once you take its tail out of the pipe, the tail goes back to its original shape:- similarly is the case of private City/serviced Bus Drivers and conductors- no matter how many warnings they have been given or fined several times for breaking traffic rules and regulations, not stopping bus at designated bus stops, not issuing tickets to the passengers many times etc -they still continue to carry on with their own behaviour/acts.
In order to straighten up their behaviours/acts after the Police Commissioner T R Suresh received way too many complaints about the errant bus drivers and conductors during the Police Commissioner Phone-In Programme, he had asked president of Canara Bus Owners Association, Rajavarma Ballal, and president of Dakshina Kannada district Bus Owners Association president, Aziz Parthipady, to take necessary actions against their employees and straighten things up. In response to PC’s request, both the Presidents of the two Bus Associations have agreed to launch a week-long exercise to discipline bus drivers and conductors of both Service and City buses, and the exercise was carried on today at various spots in the city-namely Light House Hill Road Bus Stop, Bendorewell-Kankanady Pumpwell Bus Stop, Lady Hill Circle Bus Stop, State Bank Bus Stop. and many other locations.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Aziz Parthipady, the President of Dakshina Kannada district Bus Owners Association said, ” Today a team of private bus operators and police personnel have been stationed at Light House Hill Road bus stop, Karavali Junction/Circle and other prominent places to discipline bus drivers and conductors. The conductors will be checked if they are issuing tickets properly- and if they notice any serious transgression of rules of bus operations, we will make a note of it and will raise the issue during their next meeting, to rectify it. We are also insisting on them to stop at designated bus stops, and not stop and pick or alight passengers wherever they feel like. This campaign will go on for a week or could be beyond a week until we are sure that the bus drivers/conductors have taken things seriously and work according to the Traffic rules and regulations. We are confident that we will bring a change due to this week-long exercise”.
Also speaking to Team Mangalorean, ACP (Traffic) Tilakchandra said, “Its sad to not that in spite of several warnings and fines been slapped on the bus drivers/conductors, they still adhere to their old habits. And due to their arrogant and stubbornness they land up paying lots of money as fines. If these drivers/conductors follow the traffic rules we won’t have any problems, and there would be smooth operation of bus service in the City. But unfortunately, that’s not happening. We hope at least due to the involvement of the bus owners, there could be changes in their behaviour. Looking forward to work with the bus owners for a better movement of bus service in the City and beyond”.
Also Azeez said, “Similar exercise was held last year, which resulted in bringing many changes in the behaviour of drivers and conductors. It has also come to our notice through police dept. that drivers and conductors smoke inside the bus- we will look into that. There had been complaints with buses not stopping at the designated stops, instead stopping wherever the driver wants, thereby making it hard for the passengers. Also it has been brought to our notice that buses are taking different routes in order to avoid traffic congestion, which has also resulted in the inconveniences of the commuters- for which we will look into it and stop that.”
Among all the bus owners who took part in today’s drive, one owner who actively brought awareness among the bus drivers/conductors and commuters was Ms Rosy Furtal, who owns three buses namely 4 E, 21 and 21 A which ply between the City-Kulshekar-Neermarga-Merlapadau…. She was tough on bus drivers who made stops at LHH Road instead of stopping at the designated bus stops there- she also requested commuter standing in front of the LHH Mosque to move to the designated bus stops nearby- and they all obliged. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Rosy said, ” Last year under the leadership of ACP Udaya Nayak I had actively taken part in the similar checkup drive, and brought quite a few changes among the drivers/conductors. But unfortunately, as days/months passed by, the drivers/conductors switched back to their old behaviours. So now again we have to follow it up. Hope this week-long exercise will straighten up these drivers/conductors so that there won’t be much complaints from the passengers to the police or bus owners”.
In the meantime, ACP Tilakchandra also said that in addition to this exercise carried on by the Bus Owners, the police will also conduct surprise checks and book cases against those violating permit conditions and traffic rules and regulations. “We also need support from the general public in this regard. Commuters should wait for the bus in the designated bus shelters, and not at other spots, which will tempt the bus drivers to stop to pick them up. Also citizens if they notice any wrong doings by these drivers/conductors you need to call and inform the police immediately- and we will take action quickly” added ACP Tilakchandra. Let’s all hope that this week-long exercise by the bus owners to discipline bus drivers and conductors of both Service and City buses, will prove effective and successful.
The public transport of private bus system is so chaotic and erratic in Mangalore City. The State Bank Bus Station itself is in such a dilapidated and pathetic state. The number of buses are certainly too many for the road to handle at one time, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.
These are some suggestions to solving the traffic problem and the problems the general public travelling face in these private buses is to:
1. The State Bank Bus Station should be revamped with good quality covered bus stops, seating facility and licensed Food and Beverage Outlets, and reserved only for Express Buses and KSRTC Buses plying between Mangalore – Udupi – Manipal – and Kunadapur, and to the far East of Mangalore.
2. The Old Hampankatte Bus Station land should be used to make a large 4/5 Stories Building with 3 floors for PayNPark, 1st floor for FoodCourt and Rest Rooms, and the bottom part for 10 Bus Stations for 20 or 30 Routes – with Buses halting for max 5 minutes to drop and pick passengers. Only benches must be provided for children, ladies, and families and seniors and elderly to sit.
3. Proper Bus Stands with a good design for safety and weather should be built or installed (and not from those donors who polish the people in authority such as the Builders or Banks). The State earns sufficient money in exorbitant taxes to fulfil all needs and amenities and infrastructure.
4. Bus Operators must sign a legally binding Code of Conduct and Safety before being licensed to operate a bus service for the public.
5. Bus Operators must put up large legible painted boards indicating the Bus Route and the From and To and Via destinations in Kannada and English.
6. The bus should have low Entry and Exit steps for people to get in and get off with ease. This will facilitate easy entry and exit for the children, ladies and the elderly.
7. The Bus Drivers should be checked especially in the evening for drunk driving and rash driving and for offensive fast driving and for road rage.
8. All buses should have a bell system to alert the driver to stop either at a bus stop or in times of an emergency. At present, the systems is:
Right or Raath to go and a whistle to stop – very ancient methods. Not forgetting the Bega, Bega, Pira Balle, and Dum Balle – the bus conductors shout s they over pack the buses.
9. All bus travel should be comfortable for all citizens and should be licensed for 45 seating people and 15 Standees, with 50% seating for ladies and 10% seating for families, and 30% seating for males, and 3 Front seats for the specially-abled.
10. The public should be picked up and dropped off only at designated Bus Stops – with doors that shut and open only by the driver.