By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Shillong Public Transport service (SPTS) buses launched with much fanfare a year ago seem to have run into rough waters.
Questions are now being raised about the competency of the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) which is running the bus service.
Sources say that of the 50 buses launched by the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to serve the public of Shillong, 14 are now off the road for one reason or the other. MTC has a record of having failed to run the earlier long distance buses.
When the buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme were set to be launched by MUDA, doubts were expressed about whether the MTC could manage the running of these buses efficiently. Some in the Government were of the view that the Urban Affairs Department should go in for a public private partnership (PPP) model in managing the buses.
Though the buses have helped a great deal in improving the public transport system in the city, sources in the Government say there have always been doubts about the sustainability factor.
MTC is not known to have competent managers at the helm. There is serious lack of accountability and no performance indicator to measure the efficiency of those who run this corporation, the sources observe.
Unhappy with the inefficiency of the MTC to operate the much appreciated SPTS buses, MUDA has decided to now act as the nodal agency for the operation of the buses.
“We have more or less decided that the MUDA will take care of the next allotment of the buses,” Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said.
The Urban Affairs Department is not at all happy with the services of MTC as 14 out of the 50 buses are found to be grounded in the MTC workshop due to mechanical problems.
“It’s very sad that 14 buses have been grounded as these buses were meant to serve the public,” she added.
According to Lyngdoh, MUDA is all set to operate the buses and a proposal would be forwarded to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed to manage and run the buses.
Besides the minister, there were also series of complaints from people on Wednesday about the efficiency of the buses operated by the MTC.
The commuters also complained that in most of the buses, the LED lights have disappeared and even the conductors and drivers don’t wear their uniforms.
Cleanliness and congestion inside the bus are major issues and the frequency along the routes has also reduced sharply.
Commuter also complained that many of the conductors are not issuing tickets to the commuters.
However, AGM (operations) of Meghalaya Transport Corporation, Anthony Pariat, blamed the passengers for not demanding tickets. Reacting to a query, he also stated only few buses and not 14 buses are out of order due to minor faults.
When asked about the reduction in frequency of the buses he said that the frequency has reduced since the buses get stuck in traffic jams.
It may be mentioned that the SPTS buses are operating in 19 routes of the city but there is still a paucity of public transport system in several localities in the city.