Smart City Bus Conductors Accused of Ticket Refusal
Syed Mohammad Burhan
Srinagar: In a recent development, passengers have accused a number of smart city bus conductors of refusing to issue tickets. This breach of protocol has sparked concerns among authorities and commuters alike.
However, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner and CEO Smart City, Athar Amir Khan, has taken swift notice of the issue and has assured the public that necessary actions will be taken against the erring conductors.
According to passengers, they have faced inconvenience as some smart city bus drivers allegedly declined to issue tickets after collecting the fare, raising questions about the effectiveness of the smart ticketing system implemented as part of the smart city project.
“I took a bus ride from Hawal in the old city to Lal Chowk but I was not offered a ticket by the bus conductor. It was my first ride on the bus and I was not even aware of it,” a female commuter, wishing anonymity, said.
“It is sad to learn that the money has gone straight to the conductor's pocket. I hope authorities take note of the situation,” she added.
This issue was also reported by veteran journalist Yusuf Jmaeel on X (Twitter), sparking a debate on the microblogging site.
“Traveled from Hazratbal to Nowhatta by a @ sclsrinagar bus a short while ago. Found commuters preferring the service but it was upsetting to see the conductor not issuing tickets to several passengers.
I took a bus ride from Hawal in the old city to Lal Chowk but I was not offered a ticket by the bus conductor. It was my first ride on the bus and I was not even aware of it
When asked about it, he said, they don't pay the fare in full," Yusuf Jameel wrote, tagging C.E.O smart city Athar Amir Khan.
“Also, the driver would pick up & drop off passengers at any place. Are there no designated bus stops for this service or route? Needless to say, cleanliness & maintenance are very important. Found this particular bus lacking the former. Thought to tell you about all this” Jameel added.
In a reply to the tweet, SMC Commissioner Athar Amir Khan assured action, saying they have a very strict policy with respect to this and replied that the case was verified and action initiated accordingly.
“We have a very strict policy with respect to this. It will be verified and action initiated accordingly!”
“There are 4 cameras inside the bus. We can easily see and count at any point of time or on any stretch. That gets cross checked with the tickets issued using the Electronic Ticketing Machines! We do this audit on a regular basis. There is a technical team which does the job.” Athar Amir wrote.