COIMBATORE: Sivashanmugam is not your usual government bus conductor with an irate demeanour and perfunctory announcements. The cheery 55-year-old who works on the Coimbatore-Madurai route is not content with merely distributing tickets and blowing the occasional whistle. He goes the extra mile to ensure his customers have a memorable journey.
Just before commencing his journey, he welcomes passengers with a traditional ‘vanakkam’ and thanks them for choosing a government bus for their trip. He announces the exact fare for important destinations on the route and reminds passengers of their civic responsibility to keep buses clean.
He asks kids and those with motion sickness to feel free to ask him for chocolates and drinking water. He sanitises the hands of passengers without fail and even distributes masks to the needy. “It’s our responsibility to keep the bus clean and free of damage. You cannot litter the bus. I have placed a gunny bag near the front door, and commuters can throw their waste in it,” says the man who hails from Ramchettipalayam near Perur in Coimbatore district.
So what inspired him to go beyond the call of duty? “Till 2016, I worked on the Gandhipuram-Nadhegoundenpudur town bus route (No 14). Back then, I was just like any other staff. But I used to inform passengers of fare details and important bus stops on the route. However, that year, I attended a rejuvenation session conducted by our transport corporation.
The man who conducted it, Gnanasekaran, spoke about a conductor named Kanagasubramani, who had served on the Ooty route. He apparently used to start the journey by reciting a Thirukural and explaining the verses to the passengers. It was this session, and the example set by the conductor, that spurred me to do something for the public,” he adds.
Not surprisingly, Sivashanmugam has earned legions of fans who prefer to take his bus. Many have also taken to the social media to praise him. Sridhar, a native of Dharapuram who works as a professor in Yemen, said, “Usually, it is only during flight journeys one expects to be welcomed by air hostesses and be respected. When I saw a government bus conductor do it for his passengers, I was speechless. He deserves praise and is a role model for government staff.”
His friendly attitude not only breaks the mundaneness of travel for his commuters, but has also earned him lasting friendships. “Three years ago, I met a passenger named Antony from Coimbatore. Our friendship developed, and Antony, who works in the UAE, became like a family member. Recently, along with my family, I attended his wedding. Even as we entered the marriage hall, Antony treated me with even greater respect than other attendees. Moments like these make life fruitful,” says Sivashanmugam. With him as conductor, passengers on the Coimbatore-Madurai route go a long distance by fostering a bond.