Senior citizens may get concession in bus fare

Participants had suggested a concession for those aged above 65. However, the RTO did not specify a date of implementation, instead saying that things had to be sorted out with the owners of private buses.

S. Mallikarjun, Regional Transport Officer (left), hearing the citizens' grieavances at an 'RTO Adalat' in Mangalore on Thursday. Photo: R.Eswarraj

Senior citizens will soon be able to purchase a subsidised passenger ticket in private buses across the city, said Regional Transport Officer C. Mallikarjun at the RTO Adalat conducted in his office here on Friday.

The decision was taken after the adalat held last year, where participants had suggested a concession for those aged above 65. However, the RTO did not specify a date of implementation, instead saying that things had to be sorted out with the owners of private buses.

Similarly, also termed “soon to come up” were steps to tackle rash driving, especially prevalent among private buses in the city. “We have decided to place stickers which will have the number of the police department and the RTO at the back of the bus. If the public has any complaints, they can contact the numbers at the back,” Mr. Mallikarjun said.

During the meeting on Friday, the discussion became heated when Hanumantha Kamat and other participants harangued private bus owners for misleading out-of-town passengers of the final destination in Mangalore. “While many buses, for example, those from B.C. Road, tell passengers that the final stop is State Bank, they in fact stop at Kankanady itself and leave the passengers fend for themselves.

Senior citizens and children are often dropped at Pumpwell and told to board a crowded city bus,” said Mr. Kamat.

Private bus owners, who objected to this, said since the permit extended to only Kankanady, all possible arrangements had been made to take passengers to State Bank.

Mr. Mallikarjun ruled that the boards on these buses would carry Kankanady, Mangalore instead of only Mangalore currently.

Responding to complaints of rude behaviour of conductors, especially towards women and senior citizens, private bus owners and the RTO decided to conduct behavioural training to personnel in the bus. When it came to numerous complaints about private buses with loud horns, Mr. Mallikarjun said: “We have decided to install standard horns in all the buses. A horn manufacturer has been called, and the type of horn will be decided upon soon,” he said.

On the lack of enforcement of RTO norms and laws, he said there had been a staff crunch in the department. “Officers from other RTOs will be deputed soon and stricter enforcement of rules can take place,” he said.