The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Coin-operated telephones, a boon to bus travellers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 22, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Coin-operated telephones, a boon to bus travellers

Anil Kumar Sastry

As many as 78 such telephones have been installed at Kempe Gowda Bus Station

FACILITY: A private agency has installed the telephones at the bus station in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: Time was when those arriving at the city’s Kempe Gowda Bus Station from distant places early in the morning, contacting their relatives or friends to get the last mile connectivity to their destination was difficult.

While those with mobile phones had no problems, others had to wait till the day broke or arrange transport on their own because the handful of telephone booths in the bus station did not start business so early.

Even otherwise, many had to wait in long queues to make a telephone call during daytime.

There were also complaints of overcharging by the booth operators, and the matter even went to the Chief Minister’s Janata Darshan.

Everyone kept wondering what prevented the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation from installing coin-operated telephones when there had been a revolution in the public call system across the country. Lack of communication facility at the bus station, which is used by more than six lakh people a day, reflected badly on the corporation too.

The corporation finally decided to allow the installation of coin-operated telephones and called tenders. A private agency, Sapna Associates, was selected. It installed 78 coin-operated telephones at the station.

One of the conditions imposed by the corporation was that the agency should employ physically challenged persons to assist people making telephone calls.

As a result, 31 physically challenged persons have been selected through the Directorate for the Welfare of the Disabled, who are paid Rs. 3,500 a month.

Commuters are now a relieved lot. Says Srisha Padaki: “I need not cross platforms and bus bays risking my life to make a call from the telephone booth. Also, there is no need to wait in queues.”

For Shantha Meharwade, who had come from Bijapur early in the morning to visit her relatives near K.R. Puram, the coin-operated telephone proved to be very helpful.

“I could call my relatives and request them to take me from K.R. Puram bus stand,” she said.

S.B. Gururaj, proprietor of Sapna Associates, said the contract for operating the telephones was for three years and a rent of Rs. 1.2 lakh was paid to the corporation.

Commuters were so happy that one of them recently approached him with a rose and thanked for the facility, he said.

Besides offering Re. 1 coin, the physically challenged volunteers also guide commuters to take the right bus, he added.

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