Hyderabad: No change, no ride, please… bus conductor to passengers

Hyderabad: Passengers travelling in the State-run buses are facing hurdles. They are being asked to step down from the bus if they do not have change. They allege that the conductor is asking for the ticket if a passenger give a higher amount.

However, for a hassle-free transaction the TSRTC has introduced Intelligent-Ticket Issue Machine (i-TIMs), an android -based technology that is installed and used as a pilot project in about 600 buses; it is yet to be introduced in all services.

Generally, when a passenger purchases a ticket and no change available, a conductor writes the balance amount on the back of the ticket and asks the passenger to collect it before leaving. But, now for the last few days, conductors are simply asking passengers to get down.

According to passengers, they are being asked to get off from buses as they do not have change. Madhu travelling in bus no 189 M (Mehdipatnam-Jeedimetla) said "I gave Rs 100 for ticket from Jeedimetla to Moosapet. The fare was Rs 35; the balance Rs 65 was not available with the conductor; he asked me to get down from the bus."

Similarly, this issue has been raised by passengers in buses 8C, 7Z, 8H, among others. On most routes it passengers have been asked to get off the bus. They are worried with this attitude of conductors. This has also been raised on social media.

Narrating her experience, Megha, a regular passenger, who witnessed the incident at Moosapet, said "a man boarded the bus at Moosapet bus-stop. I saw him purchasing a ticket and giving Rs 100. The conductor stopped the bus and asked him to get down as he had no change," she said. Such attitude towards passengers in State-run buses is not acceptable. The higher-ups must take note of this and solve the issue of change."

Passengers point out that amount change is a never- ending issue. Starting from morning hours till night it continues. "Though the corporation had revised fares in the name of rationalisation of fares with Rs 5 rounded off, even after this conductors simply say no change. They don't return the remaining amount written on the ticket," said Asif Hussain.

M Dayanand, a social activist, said when TSRTC buses leave a station, conductors should be given Rs 200 change, specially coins, for transactions. Though they have change collected since morning they just play games citing 'no change'. "They are not even returning the balance amounts to passengers. One who visited a bus station to receive the balance amount and was asked to come later." "For the balance amount of a few rupees, how many times passengers must visit?" asked Dayanand.

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Bus pass not honoured

A senior journalist of an English daily was asked to step down from a bus by unruly conductor stating that the pass issued to scribes was not allowed. He tried to convince that the pass was issued by the TSRTC management; but the conductor was unrelenting. Incidentally, this happened twice to him. He had lodged a complaint with higher officials, but no action was taken so far. "I boarded the bus 229M (Secunderabad-Medchal) at Paradise bus-stop. When I showed him my pass, the conductor asked me to step down. I was forced to pay the fare."