No change for ticket,school student forced to get off utility bus

The teenager said he then took a five-seater and gave the Rs 10 note to the driver who promptly returned Rs 5. His father,Sunil Marale,said,”I keep telling my son to take an autorickshaw to school because not only are these people polite,they also ensure that you board and get down safely. On the other hand,PMPML buses are always in a tearing hurry,” he said.

Chairman & managing director of PMPML Dilip Band said no conductor has the right to ask a commuter to get down from the bus for not having change. “We will take action against such conductors,” he said.

Like Hurshikesh,Madhav Shinde,who had boarded the Nigdi-Warje Malwadi PMPML bus last Wednesday,was asked to get down from the bus after he gave the conductor a Rs 500 note. The conductor argued that since it was his first trip,he did not have the necessary change to return.

Hrushikesh and Madhav are not the only ones to suffer humiliation at the hands of PMPML conductors. Everyday,scores of commuters are either told to get down from the bus or not to board the bus if they don’t have the necessary change.

Civic activists say PMPML should take stern action against conductors who have no right to show commuters the door.

“It is the duty of PMPML to give its conductors change before their duty starts. The conductors have no right to insult the passengers,” said Prashant Inamdar,convenor of Pedestrian First.

However,he said,the commuter too should keep some change with them. “The passenger taking out a Rs 500 note and demanding a ticket for Rs 10 cannot be justified.” He said if the conductor does not have change he should write on the back of the ticket so that the passenger could collect the balance amount from PMPML depots.

Deepak Pardeshi,PMPML spokesperson,said,the aggrieved commuters should complain to PMPML on 9011038148/149,extension 300,during office hours or on extension 211 after office hours.

“Action has been taken against errant conductors in the past and will be taken in the teenager’s case as well,” he said.

Bus leaves without conductor

On Tuesday,the 9.30 pm Pune station-Sambhajinagar bus left without a conductor. After nearly three kilometres,the driver halted at Wakdewadi. This was after the commuters approached the driver seeking the whereabouts of the conductor. “We asked the driver who would give us the ticket. He looked behind and started shouting for the conductor who was not there,” said Kamal Salvi,a passenger. Pardeshi said the starter,the driver and conductor have been asked to submit their reports regarding the incident.