Bhubaneswar: Of late, Mo Bus, operating in regions like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, has drawn flak for causing ‘inconvenience’ to its passengers. Several Mo Bus passengers have alleged that they are fed up with the unruly behaviour of drivers and conductors on certain routes. Ananya Dasgupta, a final year mass communication student at Birla Global University who regularly boards Mo Bus on Route No.18 (from Jagatpur in Cuttack to Baramunda ISBT) to attend her classes, alleged that seats reserved for women are always occupied by male passengers. “When the conductor’s intervention is sought in this regard, he/she simply turns it down, showing utter insensitivity,” she added. She stated that Mo Bus conductors are forcing the passengers to bring exact change for fare. They also threaten the passengers, who don’t have small denomination currencies, to alight from the bus. When contacted, Capital Region Urban Transport (Crut) general manager Sanjay Kumar Biswal said, “Crut has a policy of strict action against alleged misbehaviour by drivers or even passengers. We undertake an internal assessment with concerned parties, including depot manager, driver and conductor, a day after the complaint is lodged.
Subsequently, action, as deemed fit, is taken by Crut managing body.” Manas Das, a sexagenarian passenger, alleged that Mo Bus conductors don’t care a fig to the concerns of senior citizens. Das, a regular passenger of Route No. 23 (which moves from IGKC Hospital to Bhubaneswar Railway station), he added that seats reserved for senior citizens are usually occupied by young people. “Upon complaining to the conductor, I was asked to get down at the next stop,” he rued. Five days ago, there was a hue and cry in a moving Mo Bus on the way to Biju Patnaik International Airport on Route No. 18 when a differently-abled passenger from Ganjam district, G Pabitra Reddy, was denied a seat by the conductor. Reddy said that it was very difficult for him to stand in the jam-packed bus and finally he had to get down at Pal Heights Square. Upon enquiry, the bus conductor stated that the seat was earlier occupied by two young passengers. Despite, repeated requests they did not budge to offer the seat to Reddy, he added.
A month back, Mo Bus added Route No. 25 to its fleet to cover Mancheswar and Dumduma. However, several students of Rama Devi University have alleged that since last week the bus has stopped coming to Khandagiri area. Meanwhile, numerous passengers have also alleged that Route No. 20 (Patrapada to Khurda bus stand) is infamous for gross misconduct of bus crew members. Several people have alleged that they fail to board the bus as the driver willfully ignored halting at scheduled stoppages.
DEBADURLLAV HARICHANDAN, OP