Mangaluru: Following complaints from passengers regarding the non-issuance of tickets in buses, the Dakshina Kannada Bus Operators’ Association has appointed several persons to check the tickets in private city buses based on the KSRTC’s model.
This initiative has been started on five routes in Mangaluru on a pilot basis. Private buses currently ply on 80 routes in the city. The initiative will be implemented in all the routes in phases by taking the owners of the buses into confidence, sources from the Bus Operators’ Association said.
At present, ticket checking is carried out on the State Bank to Mangaladevi, Ullal, Konaje, Talapady and Adyar routes. As many as 30 personnel are engaged in ticket checking from 6 AM to 2 PM and 2 PM to 11 PM. Dressed in a black pant and a blue shirt bearing a badge, the ticket checkers will board the buses at a designated stop to perform their duties.
Issuing of tickets to passengers is compulsory under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. If a passenger is found travelling without a ticket, he will be considered an unauthorised passenger and a fine can be levied. Many passengers have complained that bus conductors do not issue them tickets for the travel.
The appointed personnel will check the tickets issued using the ticket vending machine given to the bus conductor. They will take a print of the number of tickets issued by the machine in a day, using a password, which will later be handed over to the bus owners. With the issue of the tickets, the conductors cannot cheat the owners while handing over the earnings of the day. It will, in turn, help in increasing income.
Further, if the personnel get any complaints from the passengers regarding the behaviour of the conductors and drivers, this will also be brought to the notice of the owners. The ticket checking personnel have been asked not to harass the commuters in connection with the tickets. The system will enable help the commuters develop a habit of asking tickets while travelling in a bus.
