Festival pressures should prompt KTC to strengthen rosters and protect interstate services
Last week, several interstate passengers booked on the state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) were left stranded, particularly those on the Goa-Kolhapur and Goa-Miraj routes during the peak festival rush of Ganesh Chaturthi. Ticket-holders were upset because they were not informed of the cancellation. They only learnt of the service cancellation when they were waiting at the bus stand for the bus to arrive. Officials said the service was cancelled due to crew absenteeism and staff shortage.
This exposes the KTC management’s role and responsibility towards its passengers. KTC was launched by then chief minister Pratapsing Rane in 1980 and has been known for its people-oriented service. It gained commuters’ trust because of its service. KTC’s Vision statement states: To provide the World’s best transport system which is safe, reliable, efficient and environment friendly. Like political parties, this cannot be a mere slogan.
The abrupt cancellation of service on the interstate routes points to managerial negligence and inefficiency rather than a staffing issue. Ganesh Chaturthi is the state’s biggest festival and everyone who celebrates it for five days would like to take leave from work. This is not to defend absenteeism. Ganesh Chaturthi is an annual festival and every management prepares its roster weeks in advance to ensure operations are not affected. Alternative arrangements are made. This is the normal practice all over during major festivities. How did the KTC management not know they lacked enough drivers to run the interstate service until passengers with booked tickets were seen waiting for their buses? What is also distressing is that the ticket-holders had to buy tickets for private buses at a higher rate. Those in the government don’t tire of boasting of IT-linked services. Rightly so, we can get services online. It’s not a big achievement. We live in a digital world and these services have to be online. But often, citizens face technical snags. Regarding the abrupt cancellation of the KTC bus service, one question that immediately arises is: why weren’t the ticket holders informed of the cancellation well in advance? Considering that, due to some reason, KTC failed to intimate the ticket holders, then they should have made alternative arrangements. If this had to happen to a private bus service, the Transport Department may have pulled up the operator. Just because KTC is a government-run corporation, it cannot enjoy leniency.
Cancelling an interstate bus service two to three days in advance was understandable. It cannot be done after ticket holders arrive at the departure point. This is ridiculous. According to media reports, KTC recently recruited new drivers. They could have been deputed on the routes. This is inefficiency and operational failure, to say the least, as, like other service providers, KTC should have had the roster in place more than a week in advance. Every state has its own major festival and their respective state-run bus operations face similar pressure, but they manage their affairs with established safeguards to ensure that the commuters do not suffer. Perhaps they have a standby crew or alternative arrangements. KTC should not only refund the ticket money but apologise and pay them compensation.. KTC should also have a policy to incentivise working on such festive occasions.
Incidents like this give a bad name to the 46-year-old corporation. This should be an eye-opener to the Transport Department and the KTC management to improve its service on interstate routes. Let this case be an opportunity for them to take stock of the situation and improve its service.
