HUBBALLI: With the HDBRTS Company allowing bus pass holders to avail BRTS bus service ‘Chigari’, schoolchildren from making maximum use of the facility.
Considering it as a jolly ride, some students are repeatedly travelling on the buses.
The counter staff at the bus stops are unable to stop them from doing so.
The look, luxury and comfort of BRTS buses are certainly attracting the passengers. As the trial run of the buses is on, authorities are not much particular about the fair. To get feedback from more passengers, the company has allowed pass holders of all types to travel on these buses.
As the Lamington School is situated near the HDMC bus stop of the BRTS service, a large number of students coming from Vidyanagar and Hosur are using these bus service. There is no harm in using the service, but some of them are unnecessarily travelling just to enjoy air-conditioned bus travel and they are quite outspoken about their travel experience.
Students board the BRTS buses at HDMC stop and alight at old bus stand or Hosur stop, and then catch normal buses to reach areas on the Gnuplot Road. But some of them get on to the bus from HDMC stop and alight at Hosur stop and come back in the BRTS bus, just to experience the luxury of bus service.
Students said: “We are excited to travel in these buses, and are enjoying it a lot. There will be heavy rush of passengers in normal buses. We hardly get enough space to even stand. These buses are quite spacious and comfortable,” boys said.
But boarding of buses by students in large numbers has put the staff at HDMC bus stops into hardship as they have to check passes of students and then issue tickets.
Issuing of tickets is compulsory as unless ticket with QR code is scanned, the gate of the stop will not open. Issuing tickets has become a tedious job for the staff at the ticket counters.
A staffer said there will be no problem if the children use the service once. Seeing the long queues of students, other passengers hesitate to board BRTS buses during busy hours. If students are denied tickets, they will threaten of complaining to authorities, she added.
A senior HDBRT Company official said they are bit relaxed as the trail run is going on. They want more number of people to use the service in order to get enough feedback to improve the service. Once the service gets formally started, smart cards will be issued to all, including pass holders.