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| Keep passenger transport sector on watch list | | | Bus operators have announced to go on strike on March 25 in protest against refusal of the Government to allow hike in fares following increase in the prices of petrol and diesel.Well every trade union has the right to stage a protest or go on strike once they feel they are receiving a raw deal from the Government.But before demanding hike in fares it is the duty of the transport operators to resort to self-introspection.Number of steps have to be taken before they start demanding concessions.During the last five years the prices of petrol and diesel have registered increase on more than four occasions.Imagine a litre of petrol which used to cost in Jammu between Rs.39 and Rs.40 five years ago is sold at about Rs.50 per litre. Similarly diesel prices have registered a hike between Rs.2 and Rs.2.25 per litre on five occasions during the last five years.As such they deserve the fare rates are revised.But over the years whenever their demand for fare
revision was accepted by the Government the rate of increase was much higher than the hike percentage of petrol and diesel prices.Since the concerned Government agencies did not bother to check the fare structure bus and matador operators enjoyed the liberty of quoting any fare for any journey.At one time the Government agreed to revise the fare but it imposed one condition.It conveyed to the operators that they were supposed to carry not more than 10 standing passengers.When they were told to accept this condition if they wanted the fare to be raised the operators willingly agreed.Alas!the very commitment was violated.The operators carried more than 15 standing passengers in the matadors that ply on the various Jammu district routes.Operators plying their buses on interdistrict routes carried more than 20 standing passengers.During the last 10 years the roads in Doda and Kishtwar districts have killed more people than in militancy related
violence.In each road accident it has been found that a 40-seater bus was carrying 55 passengers,a 24-seater bus was carrying 40 passengers.Forget about it.See the condition of most of the buses and matadors plying in Jammu district and on the inter-district routes.They are rickety.Most of these buses and matadors have
lost their road utility.See the facilities these buses and matadors have.Most of them have broken and tattered seats.Again see the attitude of the drivers and the conductors.They are the masters and the passengers are either th servants or the slaves.Transport operators argue that they deserve the fares to be hiked because they have to spend a fortune on repair of their buses and matadors.They are not wrong.But at the same time they are to be blamed.When they are driving buses and matadors that have outlived their utility they are supposed to spend a lot on their maintenance.Do they expect passengers to pay higher fare so that the bus operators have enough money to go in for repeated repair of their rickety vehicles ?The Government has levied passenger tax.It is an old story.And a year long survey has revealed that the Government has not been able recover passenger tax worth several hundred crores.When the Government ordered an enquiry it was found
that the fate of a large number of owners of buses and matadors was unknown.Nothing could be collected about the status of buses and matadors as a large number of them had been sold and others had become road unworthy with the result they had not been plying on any route.This was not expected of the community involved in transport business.Before expecting fare hike the transporters need to provide better and safe passenger transport services.Once passengers were satisfied with the transport services they would not mind if the Government conceded the bus operators demand for hike in fares.Let the Government keep the passenger transport sector on watch list.An accident free year should warrant increase in fares.( |
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