RAIPUR: Terming it a serious issue, the Chhattisgarh High Court is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) regarding thousands of registered passenger buses operating without licensed conductors, compromising safety.
The petitioner, Vinesh Chopda, a journalist, filed a PIL stating that out of the 68,396 registered passenger buses operating in Chhattisgarh, only a few have hired licensed conductors.
“Passenger buses in big numbers are moving without licensed conductors on board. This is against the provisions of the law and the safety of passengers, the public and even the driver. There are elderly citizens, children, women, ailing and other passengers whose safety and convenient journey remain essential”, the petitioner added.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal sharing the the petitioner's concern asked the state government to respond in four weeks.
“The petitioner in the PIL has projected the issue of passenger buses/stage carriages being operated without conductor/license conductor in the state. The role of license conductor has been described in the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Rule. No other person can act as conductor except the licensed one given the safety of the public at large”, the court pointed out in its order and issued the notice.
Section 29 of The Motor Vehicles Act, states that only people with a valid conductor's licence can work as a bus conductor and it's illegal for anyone to hire or let someone without this licence work as a bus conductor.
The petitioner pleaded for the court’s directive to the state, the flying squad of the transport department and to check points to ensure that no passenger bus/ stage carriage shall operate on the road without a licensed conductor.
“Under the Right to Information, we came to know that there are only 21 licensed conductors out of 16321 buses in the capital Raipur and 41 licensed conductors for 5992 buses in Raigarh. When these two major districts have such a pathetic prevailing situation, one can understand the situation in the entire state”, said Rishab Bisen, the petitioner’s counsel.