BHUBANESWAR: A conductor of Ama Bus on Thursday slapped a commuter near Unit-VIII bus stop here allegedly after an altercation leaving him injured, raising fresh concerns on behaviour of public transport staff in the capital.
According to sources, the incident occurred at an Ama Bus stop on route number 28 in Unit VIII area of the city, during which an altercation reportedly broke out between a passenger and the Ama Bus conductor and soon it escalated and the latter physically assaulted the commuter.
In a video which is now being widely shared on social media, the Ama Bus conductor gets down from the bus and slaps the passenger in a fit of rage. He also pushes his face against a cement poll fenced with barbed wires leaving him injured. While the bus left the place following the incident, locals alleged that the passenger suffered injuries on his head and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Reacting to the incident, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), that manages the Ama Bus service in the city, issued a statement informing that dispute arose between the passenger and the bus conductor over the balance ticket amount due to the passenger. The altercation later escalated into a physical confrontation.
Stating that it deeply regrets the incident, CRUT informed that the conductor on duty was immediately terminated from the service. “The Revenue Collection Agency has also lodged a complaint with police in the mater, while an independent team from CRUT is carrying out a detailed investigation,” the agency stated.
The incident has, meanwhile, raised concerns among the commuters. “Misbehaving and attacking passengers in the city buses has become a regular affair and many of these even go unreported,” alleged one of the locals of the Unit VIII area.
Jitendra Pradhan, a commuter, said that people travel by bus considering it is safe and affordable. “How passengers will feel secure if these kinds of behaviour are shown to them in the city buses?” he asked.
The CRUT authorities, on the other hand, said that they have been initiating stern action in such matters and are also imparting behavioural training to the crew members.
“All guides and captains working with Ama Bus undergo regular training on conduct and tolerance. Over 1,500 employees have already received this training. CRUT authorities are also giving greater stress on ensuring that such incidents do not recur,” it stated.
However, Thursday’s incident wasn’t an isolated case. Allegations of Ama Bus staff misbehaving with a female passenger at Kalpana Square had also surfaced two weeks back in which the police had reportedly intervened to bring the situation under control and prevent traffic jam on the road. An Ama Bus crew member had also allegedly attacked a passenger and misbehaved with other commuters in Pahala earlier in July.