Provisions in public transport fail when they are most needed and regular commuters of city buses and trains will vouch for this.
Unlike in the past, the present fleet of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses have been fitted with ventilators on the roof. Ordinary MTC buses have three ventilators while vestibule buses have more. The ventilators remain open for improved air circulation that provides a lot of relief to commuters in the day.
However, on many occasions, the ventilators get jammed and cannot be shut and when it rains, the interiors of buses become completely soaked. It is a common sight to see conductors and drivers struggling to shut down ventilators. This apart, the gear box and the dashboard too get wet, and there is a risk of cables, wires and mechanical parts getting damaged. The windows of many buses too get jammed and commuters cannot pull them down to protect themselves from the rain during travel.
In some coaches of suburban trains too, some of the glass windows do not work. Unlike the earlier system where the windows had levers to pull and fix them in a socket, they now have small buttons on which the windows rest. At times, these buttons cannot be moved away from their place to pull the windows. With trains travelling at a speed in excess of 70 kilometres per hour, commuters here too get drenched.
Commuters say all that is required is the regular application of lubricants to make them work properly. Windows that do not work are only a pointer to the importance attached to maintenance by the respective departments.
