My name is Ramakrishna. T.V. I had purchased 2 KSRTC tickets to travel from Bangalore to Chennai on date 21/09. The class of service booked was KSRTC, AIRAVAT (Volvo AC), Multi Axle (Club Class) SSL and the total fare paid was Rs.1436/-, with seat Nos. 37 & 38.
I had booked the above 2 tickets thro E-ticket Reservation. As the KSRTC e-ticket contains clear instructions that Free Travel is permitted in city buses within the city limits before 2 hours of the departure, I travelled by a city bus from Malleshwaram to Majestic Bus Stand and took another bus to reach Shanthinagar Bus Depot. The said city service was a Volvo bus route No.365 (KA 01/FA 7444) going to Jigani via Shanthinagar B.D. I was advised by a person wearing a white uniform outside the bus that I can travel by Volvo city service if I possessed a valid KSRTC Volvo journey ticket. However, the conductor of the bus, Mr. Narayana refused to permit to travel in the city bus. Even after showing him the printed instructions on the e-ticket, he did not oblige and started abusing both of us in front of all the passengers and we were asked to get out of the bus. His behavious was not polite and he was not ready to accept our part of the information. It was very humiliating experience to be sent out of the bus at that of night, when we were in a hurry to proceed to Shanthinagar.
Here I would like to say that when I have paid Rs.1436/- to travel by KSRTC, paying an additional amount of Rs.40/- is not going to matter much. But, since the printed instructions were very clear regarding the policy of free travel announced by KSRTC in the e-ticket I wanted to prove my point to the conductor.
After getting down from the bus, I approached the Depot Manager's Office situated at the Majestic Bus Stand who was kind enough to advise that I could travel in City Volvo buses also. Subsequently, I tried boarding another Volvo bus (KA 01/FA 1525) proceeding to Chandapura at 10.15 pm and that conductor too informed me that I was not eligible to travel in Volvo city buses. Again, I had to take the conductor to the same Depot Manager. The conductor was advised suitably and I was able to travel later.
However, this unsavoury incident has left a very deep humiliating experience. I am 59 years and atleast for some more time, I shall not take the free city travel.
BMTC conductors should be properly trained and they should know their duties correctly. The e-ticket instructions should also be changed to include free travel in Volvo bus also. Hope KSRTC & BMTC which are a fast developing organisation claiming as one of the best managed public transport organisations in the country take note of this and make necessary amends.
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