With no record of number of tickets sold, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation has no clue of the actual revenue generated on several trips being operated by private drivers and conductors. This comes as a result of the transport corporation’s decision not to allow operators to use the ticketing machines.
According to officials, there are over 11,000 such machines in the TSRTC’s possession. However, with private drivers and conductors having little or no experience in handling them, collection from passengers cannot be tracked.
“Private conductors who have been hired do not know how to operate them. Therefore it was decided not give them to them,” an official said.
“We are monitoring what is happening in connection with fare. Everything is being reported. Unfortunately, we have no mechanism as of now to see how to keep a track of the actual revenue generated from ticket sales,” said another official.
Since the strike came into force, several commuters complained of private conductors or drivers charging double for bus journey. Video clips of exchanges between passengers and private conductors too were circulated on social media.
“I wanted to go from Chaitanyapuri to Kothapet. I was charged double and no ticket was issued to me. This is wrong. So I asked the driver to stop the bus and I got off mid-way,” said K Ravi, a senior citizen and resident of Dilsukhnagar. Many commuters, including students, said despite reports of the government instructing private drivers and conductors to honour bus passes, it was not done. “We are continuously counselling drivers and conductors to honour bus passes,” TSRTC Executive Director (operations) Yadagiri said.
The government has assured that all services would be run beginning Thursday. A fare chart would be made available at each bus. All types of bus passes, including those for students and the differently-abled, would have to be honoured.
