New rules for SPTS bus operators

SHILLONG: Urban Affairs Minister, RV Lyngdoh has directed the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Director to issue a stringent written order to the Shillong Public Transport Service (SPTS) bus operators to behave decently and not to indulge in reckless driving in the city.
The directive came from the Minister after SPTS bus driver and a conductor were arrested for assaulting the headman of Laitumkhrah.
“I have told the director to give a written order to the operators that such incident should not happen in future and if it is repeated, we will take action against the operators and not the drivers,” Lyngdoh said.
The minister has also given clear instructions that all the buses should not drive recklessly failing which they would be penalised.
The statement of the Minister assumed significance since there has been several complaints of SPTS buses indulging in rash driving.
Maintaining that the whole problem in functioning of the buses came up right from the beginning, when Government went for bidding process to hand over the buses to operators, Lyngdoh reiterated that the buses should have been handed over to those agencies who have experiences in public transport system adding, “however, there is still time and I am going to review it soon.”
The Minister also said that he would soon issue a fresh direction to ensure that the drivers and conductors of the buses dress properly.
Recently, it was seen that a driver of an SPTS bus in Pyntrhorumkhrah was driving the bus wearing a vest while he had tied the uniform on his forehead.