Kochi: Officials at the Ernakulam KSRTC depot are facing a vexatious problem. The conductors are not willing to go on duty in ordinary bus services to the city’s outskirts at night.
The reason is that a majority of commuters are tipplers and create all sorts of problems for the crew.
“There are five to six cases on an average every month when conductors complain of commuters assaulting or abusing them.
Most such cases go unreported. The menace of tipplers is high in buses on the Goshree-Paravur route,” said Ernakulam Zonal Officer, Vincent K P.
The trouble created by the lot is one too many. “Some just refuse to hand over the ticket fare while there are others who have no idea as to where they are to alight. The most irritating ones are those who refuse to get down. Private buses too are in the same boat, but then they have more staff against the lone one we deploy,” he said.
One reason for the increase in tipplers opting for buses is the intense checking by cops to nab drunk drivers. “Night duty is hell in these routes.
We demand that these services be scrapped as there are only a few passengers at that time of the day”, said a conductor at the depot.
The worst affected are the working women and students who return after shifts and tuitions. “I too had a bad experience. They should at least not allow drunkards into the buses.
Also there should be some measures for ensuring the security of women in buses at night, as there are not too many passengers to help them when they encounter problems,” said Krishna Jayachandran, a college student.
“There should be some communication between the conductors and the beat police so that the cops could arrive quickly on the spot when tipplers create problems,” said Rekha Raj, A PhD scholar.
