Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) that came up in 2003 at the behest of the State Government to serve people to travel within Uttarakhand without any trouble has failed to make up to the occasion.
The recurring instances of conductors and drivers misbehaving with the passengers have raised a question over the efficiency of the corporation’s administration to manage things well. The duty of a conductor is not limited to simply accounting for the tickets and seats of the passengers. He is also meant to regulate things in tune with the roadway’s norms.
But the refrain runs among the aggrieved passengers that the drivers are insensitive and the conductors are fleecing the passengers with impunity. “The drivers are arrogant and are disinclined to stop the vehicles at some stops to take the passengers in. We are facing it daily,” a commuter from Haldwani said.
Notably, there has been a ten percent increase in the daily complaints lodged with the complaint board of Uttarakhand Roadways. If the complaints are not acted upon and responsibility fixed things might reach the point of the people resorting to stir. “Once, while I was traveling to Rishikesh some boys near my seat were noisy. Many passengers along with me were annoyed. We pleaded to the conductor to intervene. But he refused to act,” said a college student.
According to UTC’s general guidelines, as the passengers board a bus it is the responsibility of the conductor and the driver to look after their well being as long as they are on board. The conductor is bound to act if a passenger complains of being disturbed. “My friend had to alight midway one day while we were travelling together in a UTC bus. Before leaving, he left my bus ticket to the conductor. But I had to pay him an additional amount and got another ticket,” said another.
General manager, UTC Deepak Jain said: “The alleged misconduct of the drivers and the conductors are probed. The responsibility rests with passengers too.”