FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
Citizen Guadalupe Dias By email
Worried about the long queues or hassles with finding change to buy a ticket on a Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) bus, I hope soon pre-paid radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards will soon do the trick for KTC commuters.
This news made rounds way back in 2014. In this regard, setting up of three ticket vending machine (TVM) booths at the Panaji Bus stand had also been promised.
No wonder, this idea was nipped in the bud and was replaced by seasonal pass scheme for daily commuters and students by KTCL in 2014. However, instead of alleviating the common man’s woes, the seasonal pass scheme for daily commuters and students by KTCL has many a times become pain in the neck.
It is necessary to describe the incident, which I personally experienced as a frequent commuter, in order to support the aforementioned claim. The TC randomly inspects any operating bus to ensure that nobody boards without a ticket, which is absolutely necessary! However, the regular commuters on the same bus, on occasion, forget their season passes, and when they try to show TC a photocopy of it on their phones, they are met with embarrassment and TC’s refusal to accept the same.
Subsequently, the commuter is deemed to be a defaulter and fined Rs 500 because the KTCL authority lack the tools to confirm the authenticity of the pass. Isn't this an unfair judgment and denigration of the commuter? In view of this, I request the competent authority to assume responsibility of this situation in order to guarantee the satisfaction of KTCL commuters.
