Karsten Miranda
karsten@herald-goa.com
Early to bed, early to rise is supposed to be the best way to start a day but for hundreds of Margao locals, especially college going students, they have to deal with a headache every morning while catching a bus at the KTC bus stand. The subsequent bumpy and rough bus ride makes matters worse.
Every morning there are a lot of students who rush to the bus stand to catch a bus hoping that it will leave in time and that they will reach their college/educational institutes on time. The same applies to the working crowd who have to make sure they reach their offices in Verna, Vasco, Panjim, Mapusa and other cities on time. For all to go well, the bus needs to leave Margao on schedule.
“The major problem we face is people who do not stand in the queue. If the guy ticking passes knows some constant traveller, he ticks it and allows him in without being in the line. Not like they’re the only people in a hurry. That’s fine for senior citizens and the disabled,” said Conrad Barreto, a frequent user of the bus service to work.
“The timings are pathetic and nothing has changed even at the start of the academic year. Now I stand in line at 7.55am but the bus arrives at 8.30 at KTC when the timing is 8.15am and it only leaves KTC at 8.45,” said Jonah D’Costa whose college starts at 9.
“First they would leave at 8.15 and reach the market by 9. Now the line reaches the other end of the bus stand. Then there are people who join in the middle and make the line even longer. This is unacceptable on a working day,” added Jonah.
Shalini Carneiro concurred and went on to further describe the situation at the bus stand as chaotic saying the queue lines are not followed despite there being three demarcated lines. “There are 2 lines for pass holders. The first goes to Panjim market and this has mostly mini buses while the other one goes to Panjim KTC. And then there’s one line near the counter where you buy a ticket and ride. People come late and stand near their friends who are before me in the line and pretend to talk to them. And then walk with them in the queue. So the queue becomes longer,” said Shalini.
“Then in the buses when there are extra people, the conductor comes in and asks people if they have tickets or not instead of checking. They used to check and see who has a ticket and people without one had to leave, but now they come in the bus and simply ask,” lamented Shalini.
When Conrad and his fellow commuters were asked to elaborate on problems faced during their ride, they demanded that tobacco should not be allowed to be chewed in the bus. “The odour is disgusting and they tend to spit it out through the window which can unknowingly fall on other commuters on the road,” said Conrad.
He went on to highlight how the seats have very little leg space or they’re broken or there’s puke on the window. Another big issue is the frequency of buses in the evenings for their return trip. “The queue gets huge by the time the next bus arrives,” said a passenger.
When asked if the bus breaks down a lot, they agreed that they do happen. “All the old KTC buses should be scrapped or they should be serviced regularly,” said Conrad. “Even though some 27 new buses have been introduced, the situation is still hopeless,” asserted Jonah.
“We request the chief minister, minister in charge of transport and person in charge of KTC to intervene and see that our grievances are addressed,” opined Jonah.
