[Resolved]  Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Limited, Kumbakonam — Indecent Behaviour of Conductor - reported for Action

Address:

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Sir, Sub: Bus No. TN 45 N 3476 – Indecent behaviour of the Conductor – Reported for necessary action – regarding I wish to inform the following for favour of kind information and necessary action. I was waiting at Central Bus Stand, Trichy on 14.2.2014 afternoon for boarding a bus to Coimbatore around 1.55 pm. I searched for the super deluxe bus from Kumbakonam to Coimbatore which usually leave Trichy around this time. But I could not found that bus, probably due to my late arrival by few minutes. As one who has been frequently travelling in this route, I waited for the next super deluxe bus from Trichy to Coimbatore which leaves Trichy around 2.50 pm. A super deluxe bus bearing No. TN 45 N 3476 arrived by 2.10 pm. I could understand from the bus number that this was not the regular bus in which I have travelled in earlier occasions but either a spare bus or a permanent replacement of the previous one which has become old due to wear and tear. Being happy over the replacement, I tried to enter into the bus but I was prevented from entering into the bus by the conductor who stated that I must pay the money and purchase the ticket before entering into the bus. When I told that I will keep the luggage and then purchase the ticket, he pushed me back by keeping his hands on my chest and told that seat numbers will be allotted for this bus and that I must first pay the money and purchase the ticket before entering the bus. It was a very indecent as well as arrogant behaviour on the part of conductor to push back a passenger from the foot board. By God’s grace I did not fall on the platform. Then I purchased the ticket and entered the bus. The ticket number is 13544 issued at 2.17.23 pm (Copy enclosed). To my surprise I found that the seat number allotted was 13. I was the first passenger to purchase the ticket but I was allotted seat 13. Seat numbers 9 to 12 were allotted to a family people. People who purchased tickets later were allotted from seat No.14 onwards. The first eight seats were kept vacant and allotted to people who boarded the bus at the last moment. It can be verified by looking into the time of issue of tickets. People who boarded the bus around 2.50 pm were given the front rows. Some of the passengers who boarded the bus on the way occupied the front two rows and some of them got down at Karur. It is yet another atrocity on the part of the conductor. Instead of giving priority for passengers who came half an hour in advance and purchased through tickets to Coimbatore, he has given preference to those who came at the last minute and travelled for shorter distances. Under the circumstances cited, I would like to bring the following for your kind information and to take necessary action on the bus conductor: 1. It is a common practice for conductors to shout and invite passengers to board their bus including the SETC’s Ultra deluxe and AC buses. None of the conductors prevent passengers from entering the bus nor do they insist on purchasing the ticket. The tickets are issued only inside the bus after the passengers have occupied the seats of their choice and the bus starts from the destination. The only indication that SETC conductors give is not to occupy the seats which have been reserved. 2. Nowadays there are more frequent buses between all major cities in the State and one could see the passengers automatically going to the next bus when 50 % of the first bus got filled up. I have been frequently travelling between Trichy and Coimbatore. There are three more buses operating in this route, one belonging to TNSTC, Kumbakonam region (Kumbakonam to Coimbatore) and the other two belonging to TNSTC, Coimbatore region (CBE to Kumbakonam and CBE to Thanjavur). In these buses also eight seats are not kept vacant. Passengers can occupy any seat and tickets are issued only inside the bus. 3. The practice of keeping 8 seats vacant for VIPs was previously in vogue in SETC buses. But SETC itself has dispensed with that practice since no VIPs are travelling in bus nowadays. Passengers can book any seat right from seat No.1 with the introduction of e – ticket reservation facility through the TNSTC website. When that being the case, I do not know under what authority the conductor of TNSTC, Trichy region kept 8 seats vacant and issued to last minute passengers. 4. Some transport staff receive bribes from the private operators to act to their favour. Keeping the eight seats vacant until the bus starts makes the passengers bound for Coimbatore to move to the omni buses kept outside as they do not want to occupy the seats in the back rows. Two omni buses leave Trichy to Coimbatore between 2 to 3 pm and this conductor may be having the practice of receiving bribes from the omni bus operators. From the foregoing narrations, I hope I have sufficiently highlighted the indifferent behaviour of this particular bus conductor in contrast to most other conductors of other corporations. I, therefore, request that necessary action may kindly be taken against the indifferent conductor which might, at least involve a mere transfer from the particular route and posting to some other route. I further request that passengers are permitted to occupy any seats of their choice right from seat No.1 and seat numbers 1 to 8 should not be kept vacant on any account as is practiced in all other transport corporations including SETC. Given below are some quotations about customer service which can be displaced in the buses to remind the conductors about courteous service to the passengers: A ‘Customer’ is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption on our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider on our business. He is a part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.” ( Mahatma Gandhi) Customers are treasure; goods are but straw. A good customer should not change his shop, nor a good shop change its customers. If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will. (Anonymous ) Thanking you, Yours sincerely, (M. DHAKSHINAMOORTHY)