While the traffic police and RTO officials claim they are doing their duty by booking erring bus operators, there seems to be no change in the situation, a ground reality check has shown.
In August 2013, the North Goa Collector notified about 98 bus stops on various routes in Panjim. Till date mini buses stop where they please and delay their departure forcing passengers into already crowded buses. The Directorate of Transport claims that they, and the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP), have demarcated notified bus stops by displaying proper signages.
“You don’t need structures to demarcate the area as a bus stop. This is not possible when there is no proper space available. We have put signages marking bus stops,” director transport Arun Desai said, adding that private buses that fail to stop at the identified bus stops are charged a fine of up to Rs 2000 as per the Motor Vehicle Act.
But the unofficial stops haven’t lessened. On the interior roads, buses stop at the passenger’s demand. Bus drivers say the passengers want them to stop, while people say the authorities are not taking action as there are “other considerations” as to why law enforcing authorities don’t act.
“We do our best but we need support from the general public. We have been making random appeals to commuters not to force buses to stop anywhere apart from the identified bus stops. This will force bus operators to stop only at the bus stops,” Desai said.
Desmond Fernandes of Tonca believes that commuters need to be disciplined in following the law rather than blaming the authorities. “It’s easy to blame the government every time but we also need to see what we as people do to improve the public transport system,” he said.
On the other hand, Neena Kulkarni, a working women from St Inez asks, “Why do buses stop everywhere there is a passenger? Why does RTO watch this silently?”
The Transport department is clear that no stage carriage shall take up or drop passengers except at the places shown as bus stops and shall not halt at the bus stop for a period longer than necessary to take up passengers already waiting when the vehicles arrive and to set down passengers.
