Opp hails SPTS, seeks extension of service
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After impressing one and all the JNNURM buses have even impressed the Opposition parties with the leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Conrad Sangma openly hailing the introduction of the bus service in the city.
The Shillong Public Transport Service (SPTS), a special cell of the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC), is operating the JNNURM buses in the city.
Addressing newsmen here on Monday, NCP leader Conrad Sangma said, “These buses have given a boost to the public transport system in the city.”
He felt that the bus service should also be extended to other towns of the State namely Nongstoin, Tura, Jowai and Williamnagar.
The Centre so far has sanctioned 40 buses for the state out of the allotted 120 buses.
Stressing on proper ticketing system, he said, “The government should ensure that there is no leakage of revenue,” Sangma added.
Meanwhile, Motor Vehilce Inspectors on Monday conducted a drive against ticketless travelling in the SPTS buses.
Speaking to reporters, JMB Marak, MVI, said “the checking drive was carried out to ensure that passengers travel in these buses with tickets.”
During his inspection it was found that most of the passengers were travelling without tickets, he said.
“Today we warned the ticketless passengers. In future if any passenger is found travelling without ticket he or she will be fined Rs 50 plus the ticket fare,” he added.
Similarly, the conductors will also be penalized if he fails to issue tickets to the passengers.
The conductor will be fined Rs 500 for the first offence and they will have to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 for their successive offences.
It may be mentioned that the SPTS recently took a strong exception to acts of vandalism by people who cut the seats and scratch on the body of the buses.
“We have found that there are some passengers who are trying to cut the seats with sharp instruments. Not only this, there are people who even tried to scratch the colour of the buses,” MTC Assistant General Manager (Operations) Anthony Pariat said recently.
On the complaints of non-issue of tickets by the conductors, Pariat defended them by saying that many of these conductors were new to the job and their performance would improve with the passage of time.