Bangalore bus drivers, conductors face communication gap

Chandrakanth, a polio-affected passenger, has been doing regular trips from Bangalore to Mysore. Although he uses KSRTC passes that are given to the physically challenged, he was in for a rude shock on Sunday when a conductor told him that his pass was invalid. This, despite the fact that, the validity of the passes had been extended up to February 29, 2012, so that commuters get adequate time to get new passes for the coming year.

“I tried telling the conductor that the validity of the pass had been extended, but he refused to listen. Ultimately, I had to buy the ticket worth Rs97,” he said.

“The amount may not be much, but the purpose of the extension was to give us more time to buy new passes, and that is lost,” he said.

Ramegowda, a conductor, is not aware that passes are available for the physically challenged. When asked if he has information on whether it has been extended, he said, “No, it has not been extended. I have not received any information on that.”  

Another conductor said: “We know that the pass has been extended till February-end. But this we got to know from the newspapers and not the KSRTC,” he said.

“Cases like this take place all the time,” said another regular KSRTC passenger Mukesh.

“When KSRTC makes a change in its functioning, it usually send circulars to depots. But they get lost somewhere. Ultimately, it is the passengers who suffer,” he said, adding, the conductors and drivers are, more often than not, ignorant about such developments. The message simply does not reach them.

“Most of the time, such messages are lost in transition,” said a conductor. “If there is a circular, it is with the depot manager and we do not come to know about it. There has to be a better mechanism of making sure the information reaches the lowest level of the ladder, especially in case of such matters which we have to deal with on a daily basis,” he said.

A KSRTC official said: “The validity of the passes has beenextended till February. This will give passengers more time to get their passes for this year.”

When asked if circulars had been sent to drivers and conductors with regard to extension of validity of the passes, he said, “Yes of course.

Circulars have been sent to all the depots. If there are any problems with regard to this, passengers may complain at the central office.”