Editor,
Kudos to the present government for easing the burden of citizens. We welcome the new public transport system in Shillong. Moreover, this may be a lesson for alleged errant drivers who packed their vehicles to capacity ignoring the comfort of the passengers and fleece the passengers by over charging fares from them, though they ferry them to their destinations on time. The East Khasi Hills Taxi Drivers and Owners Association should make sincere efforts to bring those errant cab drivers to book on a priority basis lest they face a major crisis in near future and local taxis become a page in history. Why should the genuine Taxi Drivers and Owners suffer for those meanders? We are responsible citizens first then commuters or anything else next who are presumably making both ends meet by overcoming the pressure of astronomical prices and fares. The powers that be are elected on the strength of the votes of their electorate, with no distinction in the power of the single vote, so whenever they do anything for the benefit of citizens, that should reach and touch each and every citizen equally. Buses are a great boon to the commuters and a good source of revenue for the government but what about the other sections of our society who are solely dependent on certain transport system for earning their livelihood? Whatever it is, we are killing our major focus by blaming each other—suggestions after suggestions are still not solving the ever growing problems of our society. The omen says we need to sit and discuss and find out an antiphon that makes us all happy.
Coming to the point, can these limited number of bus services cater to the ever growing population of the city? For this, more buses have to be pressed into service in future which will not ease commuters’ problems but aggravate. School students and office goers in particular will have to make their way through traffic snarls. Hope that school authorities and government establishments make some arrangement for the late comers. Even the dignitaries’ vehicles with red beacons can face the traffic snarls but not the emergency ambulance carrying patients. So, now we need emergency routes too. It seems solution for one begets problems for another!
Yours etc.,
Subash Deb,
Via email
SPTC Buses taking us for a ride
Editor,
On July 28 last I boarded bus no ML 01- 6218 from Iewduh to Rynjah and was thrilled that the bus was not making any unnecessary stoppage at any place. For once I was proud to have been one of those who voted the people in power. However my joy was shortlived when the conductor came to collect our fares. He was charging all on board whether disembarking at Jylli’s shop, Pohkseh and Rynjah the same fare as those going all the way to Nongrah, i.e. Rs 10. On being question he replied that he did not have change. Next, when asked for the ticket, he first said that his machine did not have batteries. When people started shouting he said that he did not know how to operate the machine. At this juncture a person standing next to me asked if he had not received the training to which he replied, “I am not a computer man”. Finally after a lot of shouting he asked someone from the front to pass him the ticket vending machine as he was not carrying it with him. However, instead of issuing tickets he started reading out bus fare to the different places.
We the public could have kept quiet about this but what made matters worse was the fact that the conductor was drunk and could barely stand. I request the ministers in charge to please look into the matter and to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. Even if most of the drivers and conductors are back door entrants they should be taught the basic etiquettes on how to behave with passengers and most importantly issue us tickets which are our right. It’s useless for AIR, Shillong to make announcements saying that passengers without tickets will be fined Rs 50 when the conductors themselves refuse to give us the ticket. What Shillong needs at this juncture are season tickets which the passengers can buy for a whole month or six months and simply produce them when on the bus. This would ensure that the revenue of SPTC remains intact and the bus conductors are not given a chance to become corrupt. Also if the so called machines are to hard for them to operate then perhaps the authorities should give them tickets which they can tear out, as done in Guwahati and other places.
Yours etc.,
B.wahlang
Shillong -6
Rudeness of taxi drivers
Editor,
On Tuesday (02.08.2011), I had gone to work as usual when at about 4.30 pm I got a phone call from home saying that my daughter who was expecting her first child had slipped in the bathroom. Being her mother I was very worried and dreaded the worst. So I quickly left work and from adjacent the Governor’s House caught a shared taxi (ML 05 F 6094) to Rynjah, where I live. However, just as the taxi reached the Laitumkhrah Beat House point, I got another phone call saying that my daughter was admitted at Nazareth Hospital as she was serious. Naturally, I got off the taxi at Beat House point since it made no sense for me to go home then. I paid the driver Rs. 10 but he started arguing with me saying that I had to pay him Rs. 15. When I asked him why he simply said that since I had boarded the taxi to Rynjah so whether I got disembarked at Rynjah or elsewhere I still had to pay the full fare. Since I was in a hurry I quickly paid the fare. Through your esteemed daily I request the concerned authorities to look into the matter as this is nothing but pure harassment of the public. It’s time the Government took an interest in how the taxi drivers treat the passengers, especially women.
Yours etc.,
G Nongbet
Shillong-6