MANGALORE: Commuters on city buses can expect better treatment from the bus crew, especially conductors, in the future if assurances given by Aziz Parthipady, general secretary of Dakshina Kannada Bus Operators' Association, is anything to go by. The association has decided to crack the whip on those bus crew who do no follow directives given by the association.

Mr. Aziz said bus owners have for long put up with constant complaints regarding rash behaviour of conductors. "It has come to our notice that a few conductors behave rudely with passengers and harass students, who travel on concessional passes issued by us. Also, some conductors do not issue tickets to passengers," he said.

Stating that the association has decided to extend the last date for students to obtain concessional passes up to August 20, Mr. Aziz said checking squads will carry out inspections from the following day to ensure that students are using bus passes." We decided to extend the last date in view of representations received from students and parents," he said.

If any student is found travelling on "concessional rate" ticket or "CR" as it is popularly referred to here, from August 21, the association will take action against conductors who have allowed it. "We will ask them to go on leave. This is one way of making them realise that they cannot cause loss of revenue to the operators," he said.

Various student bodies have welcomed the initiative of requesting them to travel with valid bus passes, he said. They are free to call up the association office in case of any harassment from the conductors in this regard.

We will also refund the fare collected by conductors from students who possess valid passes as a deterrent, Mr. Parthipady added.

The association is issuing passes to students at old rates and not at revised rates, which will be implemented from August 30, he said.

The association is the only body in the State, which offers 60 per cent concession. Most of the operators are cooperating with the association, he added.

Admitting that it is not possible to put up a perfect system in a district where more than 3,000 private buses operate, he said the association is making constant efforts to finetune things.

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