[Resolved]  BMTC, Bangalore — Student Bus pass

Dear Sir,

This is to bring to the notice of BMTC management, and the Transport minister Mr. Ashok that there ia an anomaly in the student bus pass issuing and it has to be rectified. I want to bring to your notice my own experience. My daughter Shashi Priya K, after passing her PUC, had written CET conducted by KEA for admission to Engineering and other professional courses. She got a rank above 35000. We are not sure of getting a seat in Engineering course. Admissions for Degree courses are taking place, and they close even before the selection process for Engineering courses are conducted. So, to avoid wasting one academic year, I admitted my daughter in BCA course in Kristu Jayanti College at K. Narayanapura. We paid Rs.1390/- and got a pass from BMTC to travel from Ramamurthynagar to K. Narayanapura. But luckily, my daughter got Engineering seat in East point college for women at Bidarahalli, in the casual round. She got admitted in the Eastpoint college. We wanted to avail the student bus pass. We approached the BMTC. They said the pass issued earlier (from Ramamurthynagar to K. Narayanapura) is not valid, and they can't even give another pass on "Route Change" basis, because it can't be done from a Degree college to Engineering College. Because,the amount varies. For a degree college course it is Rs.1390/-, where as for Engineering College course it is Rs. 1750/-. My daughter was forced to get another pass by paying Rs.1750/-. The earlier pass for one full year has gone waste. The fault of my daughter is selecting an Engineering course!

I want to argue on two counts.
1. Why this hike in pass amount for Engineering students? After passing PUC, the bright student gets an engineering course, and a dull student gets a degree course. Why do you want to penalise a bright student? The parent pays more fee for sending his son/daughter for Engineering course. The Government also wants to extract more money! It is illogical. After all, they are travelling in the same BMTC buses. In my view, there must be only two slabs: School students, and post-school students.

2. The government is helping and encouraging the students by issuing subsidised passes. It is a social welfare measure. If a student changes the course, or college, the BMTC should give another pass without collecting any amount. Because, the student has already paid the amount for one full year. It is just a matter of change in route. There is no misuse of pass by the student. Every student aspires for a better course or college. The BMTC should encourage such students.

Hope the Government and BMTC will consider these arguments and make necessary changes atleast from next year.
K. Kumara Swamy.