BENGALURU: When was the last time you got off a BMTC bus fuming? Not too long ago? You are probably not alone.
BMTC’s grievance cell statistics reveal that the number of complaints registered have almost doubled in the last three years. A majority of them are lodged against bus conductors and drivers for misbehaviour.
BMTC officials said the rise in the number of complaints is because of increased awareness. “We receive an average of 600-800 calls every day from passengers. We also get complaints from passengers through the website, mobile app, letters, email, Twitter and Facebook,” a senior BMTC official said.
Many commuters say that there is no online complaint tracking facility on BMTC websites to check the status of their complaints. “I have lodged several complaints against BMTC through Twitter. They provide a docket number but there is no provision on its website to check the complaint status,” said S Manjunath, a regular commuter in Yelahanka.
Officials said they send the action-taken report to those who have provided their mobile numbers. People who have registered complaints on Twitter and Facebook can contact the call centre to check the status.
Many conductors say they face issues like lack of change and find it difficult to manage crowd, especially during peak hours. “Most passengers carry `100 or `500 notes for a `10 or `20 ticket,” a BMTC conductor said.
Some BMTC drivers say driving through congested roads during peak hour is a nightmare. “If I violate any traffic rules by mistake, they will cut my salary. It’s difficult to complete multiple trips in a day because of increased traffic,” a driver on route 335E (Majestic to Kadugodi) said.
BMTC officials said change problems will be a thing of the past once the proposed smart card is launched by end of the year.
Srinivas Allavili of the NGO Citizens of Bengaluru said most BMTC staffers work under stressful environment. “BMTC should come up with a rating system of BMTC staff and provide them incentives on the lines of private cabs. It should also conduct regular behavioural training programmes for its employees.”