The chaotic and ailing bus service

by Ramani D. Wickramaratne

Public transport namely, the railway and bus services are considered to be the mode of transport for the "common man" or the ordinary man who does not have the comforts or financial capabilities, to travel to work and back in their personal cars on a daily basis. It serves as the only mode of transport for those who travel on a daily basis to and fro to work from outstations like Hikkaduwa, Galle, Kandy, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Matara, Nittambuwa etc.

The problem is not the lack of trains or buses, but the lack of proper disciplines and strict administration of these two services. The train service is a different issue altogether and it is not the intention of the writer to delve deep into that topic in this article. The Sunday Observer of 12th November 2006 carried an article "Our transport sector has deteriorated in all four parameters" in which Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan - Transport Economist, Senior Lecturer at University of Colombo and Consultant to the Ministry of Transport explains the problems faced in our transport sector and offers an indepth understanding and explanation of how we could salvage the situation to offer a better and efficient service to our public.

According to him "there are four areas that measure the status of the transport sector: first, the mobility (time taken to move passengers and goods from one location to another), second-the accessibility (how comfortable to access the transport services to people), third-the affordability (fare of transport services and income of the people) and fourth-the quality of service..." Taking these criteria into consideration, can we honestly be happy about the transport service as we experience it today? This has to be given serious thought by all those officials who are involved in the transport section from the Minister right down to the staff implementing and monitoring policies, rules and regulations. Amazingly, those officials will realise that they have failed to offer what we may call, an efficient and satisfactory service to our public!

Directives

No matter what directives are given to the Private Bus Operators about the code of ethics they must follow by issuing tickets to commuters, by limiting the number of standing passengers or offering seats to the clergy, pregnant mothers or the disabled (sticketers are pasted all over but instructions are never carried out). It is high time that government officials handling transport affairs made a personal trip in these buses to check for themselves whether these accusations are true or false?

On short distance buses a passenger is never issued a ticket. If a passenger requests for a ticket, that person gets a stare and an abusive remark! On the inter-city buses if we take a general example, a Colombo-Matara bus will take in passengers who are going to Aluthgama, Ambalanagoda or Hikkaduwa - they pay a slightly reduced rate than the full fare BUT are issued tickets with the full fare! The reduced fare, is what the driver and conductor decide on and will never be accounted for!

Many are the "tricks of the trade" and it takes only one trip on any of these routes to check the truth of what is stated here (if the authorities wish to rectify miscreants) and it is not difficult at all because all bus drivers and conductors are up to these tricks. On top of it, standing passengers are taken just like on the short route buses. What is the earthly good of spending "inter-city charges" and travelling like "sardines?" An article which appeared in the Irida Divaina of November 5, 2006, gives a detailed account of the activities of the "Private Bus Operators' Mafia" which is well worth reading to understand how they have been operating.

In the Sunday Standard of November 5, 2006, an article titled "Executive bus service" caught the eye of the writer which prompted writing this article. This is yet another trick of the Private Bus Operators' Association to take another "price hike" with absolutely no genuine sincere wish to improve the service.

A new name will be given to an existing lousy service with the lowest levels of decency meted out to the passengers - this must not be permitted at any cost.Many are the human lives that have been lost due to the reckless driving of private bus drivers. School children have been the biggest victims of maniac bus drivers who race along the routes (oblivious to any of the road signs), for them to get more trips within a given day. In turn, this means more personal income for the driver and conductor.

One bus competing with another plying on the same route, is another horror story altogether. This may be termed "highway thuggery and indiscipline" whichever suits the particular case, but it is the commuters who go through mental trauma until they get off the bus at their destinations. Many are the commuters who have got thrown off buses either embarking or disembarking because the bus pulls off without giving adequate time to the commuters! Can this be called a decent service?

The Minister of Transport A. H. M. Fowzie must think of importing buses for the SLCTB and improving the government transport system rather than give into the Private Bus Operators. If we had such an excellent bus service over two decades ago, we can still do it. This will also offer employment to some competent heavy vehicle drivers and offer a decent ride for the commuters without having to face the abusive onslaughts of indecent conductors and bus drivers of private buses!

The private bus service should be disbanded altogether after a proper fleet of buses have been imported for the SLCTB to streamline and reactivate the service to maximum capacity. At least commuters will have decent standing space without breaking their necks or spraining their spines. A ticket issued to them for the fare they pay which will prevent them for being punished for travelling without tickets! Most of all, they will be saved the agony of wasting hours on the road because private buses stall at every bus stand and hang around sometimes for 15-20 minutes waiting to pick up passengers without moving on-try to tell a driver to move on and one can be sure to hear verbal insults! More often than not, a trip that would usually take half an hour to reach the destination, takes over one hour sometimes even more, resulting in the precious time of commuters being wasted in the process.

Commitment needed

To improve the public transport system, what is needed is not new categories like "executive bus service" but a commitment and strict enforcement of discipline to give the commuters a decent punctual service for the price they pay. Why does the public have to suffer insults from all corners not because they are asking for favours, BUT because they are paying a fare to get from one destination to another!

Mr. Minister - please think whether you wish to pamper Private Bus Operators or not? So far, we have not seen them offering a decent service and no matter what their excuses are or how much the government has given into their demands - we are fed up with the lousy service offered by them so far.

Any private bus, irrespective of what "connections they have" either with politicians or the police (as it is widely believed) that is found to be breaking the laws must be dealt with severely, fined heavily for each fault and their route licence cancelled if the system is to see an improvement. There is no need to entertain any excuses or to give them further warnings - just do it Mr. Minister and the public will be ever thankful to you!