SPTS conductors don’t issue tickets

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG: A surprise checking conducted by officials of the State Urban Affairs department on the SPTS buses in the city on Tuesday has revealed that majority of the conductors are not issuing tickets to the passengers on payment of the fare.

It is learnt that Principal Secretary of Urban Affairs, Prashant Naik, and Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) CEO, Tableland Lyngwa, conducted the checking on the STPS buses plying along the IGP-Laitumkhrah route.

The officials boarded a total of six buses and found that conductors of five of the buses were not issuing tickets to the commuters.

Confirming this, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the two officials conducted the surprise checking to find out the truth behind the complaints lodged by the passengers that the conductors were not issuing tickets on payment of fares.

“It is shocking that such things are taking place. These lapses have to be addressed with all sincerity. This project has been introduced with the noble objective of providing the common masses with an affordable means of transportation,” the Urban Affairs Minister said, while adding that her department would seek a clarification from the MTC on this issue apart from collecting detailed information on the revenue being generated from the STPS buses.

“It is an open secret there is leakage of revenue since the conductors are not issuing tickets to the passengers. The officials conducted the surprise checking only on a single route. I am sure that such things are taking place in all the routes,” Ampareen said.

The Urban Affairs Minister further informed that MTC would be directed to take necessary punitive action against the errant conductors.

She also added that MTC officials would be summoned to explain these lapses.

Meanwhile, Naik said that besides the conductors the commuters should also be blamed since they were not bothered about asking for tickets.

“We are talking about corruption at the higher levels. But it is sad that people themselves are allowing corruption to prevail right in front of their noses,” Naik added.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Urban Development Authority Secretary, T Lyngwa, has asked the general public to seek tickets against payment of bus fares. He also asked people to report complaints of non-issue of tickets along with the number of the bus to 0364-2502215/ 2227844/2225657.