Ex-student leader against diluting bus subsidy
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MAY 11
As the private bus operators are gunning for 50 per cent subsidy to the students to make up to its dwindling revenue, a former student leaders has said that the bus operators should not dilute the subsidy by any means.
Ridiculed demands of the bus operators, Prashant Naik, president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal and a former student leader, who fought for 50 percent concession in 1978-79, said “We had fought for a blanket bus concession for students. There cannot be particular day or time or route for charging 50 percent ticket fair to the students. The concession must be offered 24 hours in 365 days each.
He said that charging half ticket during vacations is worth as most of the time student’s travel by bus either to go for tuitions or to attend extra classes. This is a part of academic year too, Naik added.
Naik agreed saying that there are instances where the concession is misused by students by showing fake identity proofs.
“Government can come out with directives asking the KTCL or AGPBOA to have their own stamps on the cards, which will made available to the students for concession,” he said.
Naik has blamed the student community for not fighting for their rights. “It’s a shame to see the students’ behaviour towards the injustice. Even if today State government decides to go as per bus owner’s demand, the students will not react and fight,” he maintained.
Meanwhile, in their representation to the State Government, private bus owners have said that the student’s concession should be limited only on college or school routes.
“It should not be also valid during holidays as we suffer loss of revenue,” All Goa Private Bus Owners Association (AGPBOA), General Secretary Sudip Tamankar told Herald.
“During holiday season we are able to fetch maximum revenue through ticket fairs as schools and colleges are closed and students rarely travel by bus. But even if they travel during vacations, we want to charge full ticket as during pick days we have to suffer loss,” he added.
Tamankar said that it’s not possible to quantify the loss but at times most of the buses are full with students.
Tamankar said that a proper identity card must be made available to the students, which will include school timing, school routes, academic year along with a proper photograph and respective institutional stamps.
“There are several cases where we have found fake identity cards from the students. There are students, who travel in the late evening hours flashing their identity cards,” he stated.
The bus owners have also asked the state government to make arrangements for special stamps either of Kadamba Transport Corporation or of AGPBOA, which will be fixed on the identity cards of the students.
“Most of our conductors are illiterate and hence cannot read what exactly is been mentioned on the card. They see the card and charge half ticket. The stamps of our association or of KTCL will help them in identifying the valid cards,” Tamankar stated.