----------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help other CONSUMERS to be better informed. ----------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN demands safe public transport & protection to consumers in wake of a bus fare hike. ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN has submitted a detailed memorandum to the Minister of Transport Mr.Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar demanding that before the hike in the bus fares is implemented a plan of action should be in place to handle the various violations of the bus permit conditions by the bus owners so that the permit conditions are adhered to by the bus owners and the consumers can benefit from a comfortable, affordable and safe public transport in Goa.
It may noted that the Government of Goa has proposed to consider a hike in the bus fares after 25th May due to the recent increase in prices of diesel and petrol and this decision by the Government was made after representations were submitted by the All Goa Bus Owners Association and the Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd. seeking a hike in the bus fares. It may be recalled that on various occasions in the past the Government has implemented bus fare hikes at the instance of the Bus Owners due to the hike in fuel prices and at every such hike the public has been informed that the situation of the buses would be improved with respect to cleanliness, condition of the seats, rain water leakages, replacement of broken windows, easy ability to open / close windows, emergency door in working condition etc. The Government in the past had got an assurance from the Bus Owners that during every bus trip bus drivers would carry a valid driving licence, wear a uniform and badge and that bus conductors would also wear a uniform and badge or name tag. It also got an assurance that on every bus trip the authorized fare table, registration certificate / permit and bus time table would be displayed so that consumers would be easily able to identify the valid fare chargeable on that particular route, the route the bus is permitted to operate on, the name of the bus owner & the Vehicle No. and the number trips it is supposed to ply. The Government also got an assurance from the Bus Owners that the buses would not be overloaded and the number of standing passengers would not exceed the permissible limit as per the permit conditions for each bus and during every bus trip the passengers would be issued a bus ticket as per the fare paid by them, this would also include tickets issued to students with valid ID Cards traveling with a 50% concession. The memo has also brought to the notice of the Minister of Transport that there have been a series of accidents involving buses being driven in a rash and negligent manner which have resulted in serious injuries and even deaths of passengers (men, women & children), that bus timings, routes & number of stops are linked to loading of buses beyond capacity, over speeding & racing to compete so as to grab passengers. Besides diversion of permit buses on unauthorized trips like weddings, picnics & tourist hire and non availability of a bus service on some routes is causing great hardship to the consumers. GOACAN has categorically stated that there must not be any change in the pattern of blanket 50% concession on bus fares for students in possession of valid Identity Cards which presently covers all routes, working days & holidays. GOACAN has therefore demanded that all the assurances given by the bus owners related to issues with regards to the situation of the bus, bus drivers, bus conductors, fare table, time table, registration certificate / permit and tickets are all part of the bus permit conditions which have been issued by the State Transport Authority (STA) & Regional Transport Authority (RTA) and as per the Motor Vehicles Act and Rules should be made mandatory and communicated to the Bus Owners that they will be strictly enforced. GOACAN has also demanded that a detailed analytical report be prepared on the various bus accidents that have occurred in the last five years so as to pinpoint the causes, to assess the action taken against the guilty and compensation provided to the victims of these accidents. It has also demanded that a White Paper be prepared on the requirements of buses on various routes in relation to increase in passengers, the frequency & timings, identification of bus stops and proper use & upgradation of the existing bus stands in the jurisdiction of the Village Panchayats & Municipal Councils. The various village based Consumer Forums and Consumer Welfare Clubs on the campus have been receiving numerous complaints with regards to non-issuance of tickets, rude behaviors by conductors without uniform and badge and overcrowding of buses (especially troublesome to Senior Citizens and Children) and the refusal of 50% bus concession to bonafide students. GOACAN has pointed out that this is a violation of the permit conditions by the Bus Owners and that the lack of enforcement by the Directorate of Transport will result in a law and order situation and consumer disputes for litigation. Copies of the Memorandum were submitted to the Chief Minister of Goa, Minister for Home, Minister for Civil Supplies, Chief Secretary, Secretary (Transport), Secretary (Consumer Affairs), Secretary (Public Grievances), Collectors & Chairpersons District Consumer Protection Council, Director General of Police, S.P. North, South & Traffic, Director of Education & Higher Education, Director of Transport, and Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mail: [email protected] Visit: http://goacan.blogspot.com ----------------------------------------------------------
