PANJIM/Ponda: Almost every time you reach a government office at around 5.20 pm to 5.30 pm, you will not find any employees most of the time and start cursing them, but wait, think twice before cursing them maybe you can curse someone else for their absence.
Yes, we are talking about the Kadamba Transport Corporation which plies the last shuttle bus to Ponda, the temple town of Goa, at 6.10 pm.
According to information there are hundreds of people from Ponda, who work in government departments in Panjim besides private employees.
There are also daily wage workers like construction labourers, carpenters and painters.
After the 6.10 pm shuttle, the commuters are forced to take the private buses or the regular KTC buses.
The last private as well as KTC bus to Ponda is at 7.30 pm and the commuters feel it is harsh time for them.
“Most of the private offices have no deadlines and we are forced to take private buses or take lift, which at times is risky,” says Shalini Naik, from Farmagudi, working in a private firm.
She says the KTC must have a special bus for women around 7.00 pm or 8.00 pm.
Damodar Gaonkar, a government employee, says it is almost impossible to catch the last shuttle even if we reach the bus stand at 5.45 pm.
“Being the last bus, there
is heavy rush and there is not a single seat available,” he informed.
Another lady Jennifer Coutinho said, there has to be another bus at 6.30 pm specially for office-goers.
“The rush for 6.10 pm bus is so much that it can easily get another bus full but the KTC does not seem to pay heed to the demand,” she said.
Shyamsunder Rajpute, a carpenter, working in Panjim, says they have no other option but to take the 8.30 pm or 9.00 pm inter-state bus to Belgaum.
“Our work has no timing though we finish at 6.00 pm we have to wait till the owner comes and makes payment or gives further directions of work and hence get delayed almost every day and once we miss that 7.30 pm bus we have to go by the 8.30 or 9.00 pm bus to Belgaum or Bagalkot,” he said.
However, the KTC Managing Director Derrick Pereira Neto says like the Panjim-Margao shuttle, there is no demand for Panjim-Ponda route too after the last bus.
“The last shuttle to Ponda is at 6.10 pm to 6.20pm and I am told it goes full and no single seat is available. However, after this bus there is no demand,” he said.
Neto says that just for six to seven passengers the KTC cannot run an entire bus.
“We cannot accept the demand to start an extra bus for few people. There should be minimum 35 to 40 passengers,” he said.
Contrary to what the KTC MD said, the ticket counter employees, refusing to be named, say the last bus goes full leaving many dejected commuters.
“Even if you reach 30 minutes before departure there is no guarantee you will get a seat. We feel another shuttle could easily fit in as there are many commuters who go dejected,” said the counter employee.
