Three days after the Central government demonetised the Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes and gave 50 days time to exchange them with ones, people still face severe problems in going about the task.
Many people are forced to cancel their journey for want of small change.
A passenger, Hari, and his mother boarded the Gudivada-Vijayawada bus on Friday. The conductor asked them to pay Rs. 114. When Hari gave him Rs. 500, the conductor refused to accept it and insisted that he be given the exact change.
“We booked appointment with the doctor. I am taking my mother to Vijayawada for a health check-up. This is the second bus from which I am forced to get down for the same reason. Despite the government announcing that old notes will be accepted up to November 11 midnight, the APSRTC staff are not accepting big notes,” Mr. Hari said.
Left with no other option, they had to get down the bus after travelling three kilometres. Similarly, four of a family boarded the Bhimavaram-Vijayawada bus and sought tickets up to Kalidindi. The conductor said that the fare per head was Rs. 31 and sought exact change. When he was given Rs.500, the conductor said that they were not accepting the demonetised notes.
“I have requested the conductor to return the change after reaching the destination. But he has asked us to get down the bus,” lamented one of the passengers.
The conductors, however, say that they are helpless.
“Passengers are trying to get rid of the old currency notes even if the fare is very less. If all the passengers give Rs. 500 and Rs.1,000, where can we get the change? The Occupancy Ratio has come down in the State-owned buses in the last three days,” say RTC authorities.
Occupancy Ratio has come down in the State-owned buses following shortage of small change
