As part of improving the financial position of the State-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), the public utility has issued a circular directing the crew to stop all buses, including superfast, for the public from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in places wherever they demand, taking note of the safety and comfort of passengers at night.
In the case of women passengers, all the buses except minnal services should be stopped in places on-demand from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Conductors should help those who have any difficulty getting on and off the bus, especially the elderly, differently abled, and children, the circular said.
Similarly, the buses should be stopped only at hotels where clean and hygienic, and separate toilets for men and women are available. The schedule containing the places where the buses would stop and the timings should also be displayed in the buses for the benefit of passengers.
All drivers on duty, conductors, other than women, should be subjected to breath analyser tests before duty to ensure they are not under the influence of alcohol. The readings should also be recorded on waybills in the buses, said the circular. The practice of running buses on a convoy basis in one direction should be avoided. In such a situation, the employees should intimate this to the senior officials, it said.
