The DK Bus Operators’ Association (DKBOA) has initiated a novel idea of ticket checking personnel in private city buses, on the model of KSRTC, following complaints from passengers on non-issuance of tickets in the buses.
Issuing tickets to passengers is compulsory under the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act and rules. If a passenger is found travelling without a ticket, he would be considered as an unauthorised passenger and a fine can be levied. There are many complaints from passengers against the bus conductors, who fail to issue tickets while travelling.
The initiative has been started on five routes in Mangaluru on a pilot basis. There are 80 routes for private buses in the city to travel to various destinations. It will be implemented in all the routes in a phased manner by taking the owners of the buses into confidence, Association President Dilraj Alva told DH.
Five routes
At present, ticket checking is carried out on routes covering State Bank to Konaje, Talapady, Adyar, Mangaladevi and Ullal. The designated personnel appointed for the purpose will carry out the checking anytime in a day. They board the bus from a designated bus stop. The personnel wearing uniform, comprising a black pant and a blue shirt along with a badge, will check the tickets issued, he said.
The personnel will check the issue of tickets from the ticket vending machine of the bus conductor. They will take a print of the tickets issued in a day from the machine using a password, which will be later handed over to the bus owners, he said
Further, if the personnel get any complaints from the passengers on the behaviour of the conductors and drivers, then it will also be brought to the
notice of the owners, Alva added.
With the issue of the tickets, conductors can not cheat owners while handing over the earnings of the day. It will in turn help in increasing the income.
Alva said, ‘’Ticket checking personnel have been asked not to harass the commuters in the name of ticket. However, they can question the conductor on the issue of the tickets’’.
As many as 30 personnel are engaged in ticket checking from 6 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 11 pm.
The system will enable the commuters to develop a mentality to seek tickets from the conductors while travelling in a bus. There are over 350 city private buses in Mangaluru with thousands of passengers commuting to different destinations.