Passengers fume as Hubballi buses used on long routes

(Representative image)

HUBBALLI: If one intends to travel from Belagavi to Hubballi, then one should carry protective gear — sweater, scarf, umbrella and raincoat. NWKRTC is now plying city buses with double doors over long-distance trips. Belagavi and Hubballi are 100km apart and the corporation is also running city buses between Gadag-Gajendragad (55 km), Gadag-Laxmeshwar (40 km) apart from other routes.
Businessman Kailash Pareek, who often travels to nearby cities from Hubballi, said he recently found four city buses were deployed on the Belagavi route. “I asked staff members about it and they said it happens whenever there is a demand on the weekend,” Pareek said. “Ramzan was supposed to be celebrated on June 16 so there was a huge rush for buses.”

Nagaraj Tikare, a private employee who travels to Navalgund, said he has seen double-door buses plying to Navalgund too. “The doors cannot be shut and the crew is also helpless,” he said.

A conductor attached to Hubballi division, said double-door buses are essential for local operations. “If there is a single door, it takes longer for passengers to board or alight,” he said. “When we operate buses on local routes like Hubballi-Navalgund or Hubballi-Kalghatgi, double-door buses are convenient since there are many stops along the way.”

When asked about shutting doors, he admitted that the doors are inoperative.

Sujata Doddamani, who travelled from Belagavi to Hubballi on the weekend, revealed that it was very difficult to protect her children from the wind and cold that was rushing in through the middle door. “In older buses, one door is at the front and another at the rear,” she said. “But, now NWKRTC buses have a door in the middle.” She demanded that the corporation at least ensure the doors can be shut on buses that are deployed on long-distance routes.

Ashok Patil, Divisional Traffic Officer, Hubballi division, NWKRTC, said there is no provision to run such buses on long distance routes. “Sometimes, seeing the rush, our officers divert city buses to meet demand,” Patil said. “We operate city buses only on urban, suburban and rural routes.”

Read more on https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/passengers-fume-as-city-buses-used-on-long-routes/articleshow/64738887.cms

This post is from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com