Next time if you spot a DTC bus not halting at designated bus stops, its conductor or driver speaking on mobile or hearing music while driving, or even the ticket-checking staff holding your precious time to ransom till a gullible ticketless traveller gets caught, don’t lose your chance to complain.
Under the rules governing DTC, the Delhi Government is bound to take action against such erring DTC staff. This came to light in an affidavit filed by the Delhi Government in a PIl, which narrated the hassles a daily commuter has to go through when travelling in the public transport.
The affidavit focused on several aspects of a Delhi sojourner’s travel in a DTC bus as highlighted by the PIl petitioner Dhanesh Ieshdhan who runs NGO Voice of India. The petition found buses irregularly lined up on roads, not stopping to alight or board passengers from designated bus stops, a conductor who is busy in his own world not bothering to tender change or facilitate issuing tickets, the person at the wheels who may avoid speaking to passengers while driving but does not mind answering his phone calls.
They are occasions which a daily bus traveller usually encounters but fails to speak up. Why bother, some may well think, while other commuters are too preoccupied to take notice, tired and helpless as they are wading through the endless sea of co-passengers or even cautiously seeking to avoid the greasy, grimy seats and handle bars on every corner.
Dealing the issue under the heads: code of conduct for conductors and drivers, use of mobile phones by drivers/conductors, safety aboard DTC and Roadways buses heading into Delhi, availability of water and public conveniences at bus stations and terminals, dusting and maintenance of bus fleet, role of officers and staff, the affidavit made an interesting read.
DTC operates a fleet of 4511 buses daily (3,781 low floor) on 597 routes. Instructions to all DTC buses dated December 19, 2005 and August 8, 2012 makes halting and dropping in the designated bus boxes mandatory. Another instruction issued on October 18, 2012 bans smoking by any person (including staff) inside the bus. Now comes the interesting part. Separate notifications issued on November 30, 2009 and May 21, 2010 bars conductors/drivers to play or listen to music on any device or speak on phone while on duty. Drivers, if caught can be proceeded against departmentally.
Conductors are not just to punch tickets but are trained to give first aid care, the affidavit said. Fire fighting equipments and first-aid boxes are periodically checked and replenished time to time. Interestingly, an instruction of February 5, 2001 states that ticket checkers cannot stop the bus for checking unless when the bus is moving or at bus stops when passengers are alighting. In case they do not follow this rule, commuters can complain to the authorities. Sadly, the affidavit is silent on the number of complaints received or action taken against erring DTC staff. The PIl expected to be heard next in July could possibly be the catalyst for change.