The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Glued to footboards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Glued to footboards

Staff Reporter

Even if there is space inside, some `adventurers' refuse to budge from the door

HERE TO STAY: This penchant for footboard travel can turn disastrous. A peak-hour scene in Visakhapatnam. — Photo: K.R. Deepak

VISAKHAPATNAM: As the city grows, its transport needs increase correspondingly. A large number of people commute daily from several parts of the city to work and study. For all of them, the economic and safe mode of transportation is the RTC bus.

Many students board the buses regularly. During peak hours, particularly in the morning, students dangling from the footboards of city buses is a common sight.

Though an equally large number of girls go by bus, the frenetic footboard travel is confined to boys.

That buses are overcrowded at peak hours can't be denied. But sometimes it is found that though there is space inside they stay put at the door. So, those boarding the bus later will have no option but to dangle from it. On some occasions, it becomes a sort of daredevilry with the youngsters precariously hanging from the footboard.

However, because of the heavy demand during peak hours, it is difficult to accommodate all the commuters. But students "adventurously'' dangling from foot-board may have to pay a heavy price if something untoward happens. On their part, students should search for more sensible "adventures".

Footboard travel also comes handy to pick-pockets to go about their job quietly. De-bunching of buses may help to reduce the problem to a considerable extent.

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