Bas koro! Don't drive us crazy: Bus commuters

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 24: It is perhaps the biggest failure of Guwahati city police, now a commissionerate.  While the traffic branch of city police is often seen, what it says, tom-toming steady increase in revenue collection through imposition of fines, the city’s biggest mece is still left unchecked.

Ask commuters - there would be no two views that the mece of unruly city buses continues to be a source of annoyance for them, and more dangerously, a threat to their lives and that of pedestrians as well.

From competing with other buses flouting all guidelines meant for safe driving to chocking traffic at almost every bus stand, some drivers have been taking the city to ransom, often resulting in even death of people. Rash driving and competition among the city buses to reach their destition at the earliest is a common scene in the city. They halt buses at some particular stops for more than 5 minutes, in order to take more passengers. The busses plying on the R.G. Baruah Road via Chandmari and Zoo Road to Ganeshguri jolt at Ganeshguri bus stop for a longer duration, creating hassle for both commuters and pedestrians.

“I take up bus everyday to work, but I never reach on time despite making it a point to board the bus early. They halt the buses at some stops for a long duration. I take the route from Chandmari to Six Mile. The bus halts at Zoo Tili stop and at the one at Ganeshguri for more than 15 minutes,” said Kamal Neog, a resident of Chandmari.

“It is observed in the city that five or six buses often halt at some stops for a long time. The buses cover more than half the width of roads, creating troubles for the other vehicles plying,” said Siddharth Baruah of Geetagar.

The bus drivers and conductors neither use seat belts nor uniform allotted to them by the transport authorities.  Smriti Boro, a college student, said, “The bus conductors even misbehave with us often. They don’t provide tickets and harasses us by repeatedly asking for fare. They also give us outdated tickets, sometimes.”

In Guwahati over 800 buses run every day on various routes. City buses are blamed for regular traffic congestion at Jalukbari, Guwahati Club, Silpukhuri, Chandmari, Zoo Tili, Ganeshguri, Paltan Bazar, Ulubari, Bhangagarh and many other places in the city.