Mangalore: 'Bus'tling Beasts of City Roads!

Pics: Cyril D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Mar 30: Our city buses have a charm of their own. They are not just vehicles of public transport, they are epitomes of human agility and courage. With limited seats, they have an unlimited capacity to fill themselves with the human kind.

When it comes to buses we do not think twice about squeezing in between a sea of people, even if it means hanging on to dear life on the edge of the door, or being crushed among hands and legs not our own, with our lungs shouting for air. With just a toe of one leg and a few fingers rolled around the window grill, we are able to travel miles, glued to the frame of the bus, staring right into the nonchalant faces of the lucky passengers by the window seat inside. Sometimes a bus is so full of passengers dangling out that it actually looks tipsy. Now that's what you call a 'hangover'!

But even for those 'lucky' ones who manage to find seats, the luck runs out pretty soon. It is a miracle that they are actually able to get down at their stop. Alighting on time is no mean task, and speaks volumes about the human capacity to push through the crowd, and that too in matter of a few seconds. And just spare a thought to the plight of the poor conductor. But given the condition of our roads perhaps it is best that the inside of the buses are crowded - it reduces one's chances of falling over whenever a pothole comes along!

That apart, the authorities must take this matter seriously and take measures to ensure that buses are not overfilled. Passengers should not be allowed to travel clinging on to the door, for it poses a serious threat not only to them but also to other commuters. Perhaps increasing the frequency/number of buses may help, with a parallel change in strategy, such that a separate lane is constructed only for the buses, with no other vehicle allowed on it. There should be doors that actually close, so that travelling by bus becomes safe for all. There are umpteen number of cases where passengers have lost their lives while alighting from the bus, and such cases can be reduced only if serious steps are taken to enhance passenger safety. Unfortunately, neither the authorities nor even the bus operators seem to be listening, or watching.