File Pic
Nagpur: The newly started ‘Aapli Bus’ (Our Bus) is fast turning a symbol of scorn for commuters in Nagpur City. Apart from haphazard trip schedule, the “greedy and begging” conductors pushing the commuters on the edge over loose change (chillar) not to mention the bus operators whose coffers these conductors are denting with their “ticket tactics.” It would not be a surprise if commuters see red in “Aapli Bus” and bus operators losing a big margin – courtesy the “ill mannered” conductors.
With the slipshod fare structure, a daily tiff between bus conductors and commuters over loose change has become a routine. By denying loose change the conductors are not only robbing the commuters but bus operators as well. The conductors, especially the wily women lot, are pocketing Rs 100 to Rs 150 per trip. The bus operators, contracted by NMC, run approximately 200-300 buses per day. Each bus makes 10-15 trips. That means trips between 2000-3000 trips per day. If a conductor pockets Rs 100-Rs 150 in 10 trips a day, the amount collectively pocketed by conductors would run into lakhs per month.
The Chillar problem is no longer a Chillar (trivial). It has reached to a boiling point with each and every bus operating on city streets witnessing fracas over the loose change. Both by Aapli Bus conductors and passengers alike. It has become a routine to witness hot words being exchanged by both the entities. It is seen every passenger takes out notes in the denomination of Rs 10 (or in multiples) for a fare Rs 8, 9, 11, 13 or so. And the conductor demands change of Re 1 or Rs 2 from passengers. The passengers seldom give Chillar and the conductors argue hotly for it. Left with no choice, the conductors keep the notes and note it down on reverse of tickets the Chillar to be returned to the passengers at the last respective stops. And here the situation reaches to the flash point. The conductors hesitate to return the Chillar (sometimes for genuine shortage of loose change and sometimes to gobble up the extra rupee or two). Many a time the passengers give up the demand, rather helplessly, as the bus has to proceed to next stop and sometimes the passengers are hell bent on taking back their hard earned rupee or two. And here the Chillar takes the ugly form. Conductor has no change and the passengers refuse to buckle. No party is ready to blink the first. No common sense is displayed by the warring parties.
The Aapli Bus conductors, especially the “cunning” women conductors, have a shabby modus operandi to become “rich” with a rupee or two. The modus operandi is simple: The conductors issue tickets of less fare amount. For example, from Besa to ST Bus Stand or any route the fare is Rs 11. But the conductors issue tickets of Rs 9 as the passengers have boarded the bus from Manewada Square. This way, the passengers is given “relief” of Re 1 and at the same time the conductors keep the Re 1 from the Rs 10 note given to them by passengers. It means the passengers are paying Rs 9 instead of Rs 11 and the conductors are pocketing Re 1 from the Rs 10 note. Both are happy to be spared of Chillar mess. But ultimate the loser is Aapli Bus operators, on both counts.
The workable remedy for the loose change problem could be fixing bus fares in the multiples of Rs 5 and putting an end to the daily tiff between bus conductors and commuters over Chillar. If the fares are fixed in multiples of Rs 5, no question of loose change would crop up. And the situation would be “peaceful” in many ways.
