Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network- Mangaluru (JD)

Mangaluru, Sep 21: "The district administration might think of banning the old private buses which enter the city if they continue to operate with the old fleet without citizen friendly facilities," said KG Jagadeesh the deputy commissioner (DC) of Dakshina Kannada district.

Addressing as the president of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), he said "I have received many complaints from the citizen about the service of private buses. Many of the buses are old and have the high steps to climb due to which the senior citizens and the disabled are not able to board the buses, If such buses still continue to operate, then they have to banned,"

"The private operators need not pat their own backs. The public has to appreciate their service. There are complaints of rash behaviour of bus staff from the public and hence the owners must sensitise the staff." he added.

"Both KSRTC and the private operators must not keep profit as the only aim. Both must show interest to operate the buses even in the outskirts of the city like they do in the city and serving people must be their motto. There might be bad staff in KSRTC and JNURM city buses as well. But being the government organisations, has the utmost responsibility of giving the best service", he said.

While speaking about the handling of various grievances from the public and bus operators,both public and private, he said " since the next RTA meeting will be held within a span of two months, all the stakeholders must submit their pleas to the RTO (Regional transport officer) within a month in writing with specific details and get the acknowledgement letter. Only those who have this letter will be allowed to speak in the next meeting of the RTA and not the others."

"The RTO officials must forward the pleas to my office, if required, or find a solution at their level to these within fifteen days of submission. The next meeting will be of giving the solutions and not only listening to the grievances." he added.

"I suggest this solution because I am new to this place and not able to completely understand the grievances which mostly focus on the city buses. Hence all the stakeholders including the public and RTO must follow the procedure I have directed." he said.

A large number of representatives from the public from various parts of the city turned up to the meeting since it was the first meeting of the RTA convened by the deputy commissioner after he took charge.

Most of suggestions and grievances of public were to improve the private bus service and direct the JNURM buses to operate buses in new routes. Private bus operators led by Aziz Parthippady of district bus owners association urged the authority to stop the new JNURM buses from entering State Bank area and focus on the new routes.

Superintendent of police (SP) Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, secretary of the RTA Anwar Pasha and others were present at the occasion.