KOCHI: The days of endlessly ringing a dead line, or getting an abrupt hang-up from a KSRTC bus depot, are finally drawing to a close. Come July 1, the KSRTC is set to finally phase out the unreliable land phones in favour of dedicated mobile numbers across its bus depots. The same will not only make the staff accountable, but the call data will also be recorded for future scrutiny.
An official order in this regard was issued on Thursday on the direction of KSRTC chairman & managing director P S Pramoj Sanker.
“A dedicated mobile phone, including an official SIM, will be introduced in all Station Master (SM) offices across the KSRTC depots to facilitate the public and the employees contact them for various needs,” the order read.
A directive has also been sent to the heads of all 93 units across the state. “The said mobile phones should be strictly used only for official purposes. The mobile numbers should be publicised widely among the masses. Starting from July 1, 2025, the use of land phones should be strictly stopped. Instead the mobile phones allotted should only be used,” it said.
And this isn’t just an upgrade. It’s a direct response to public frustration and a strategic move to restore faith in a vital public service. For too long, the public’s pleas to KSRTC depots often vanished into the void of unanswered calls or persistently dead lines.
“The land phones at certain main depots remained non-functional for months altogether, resulting in a large number of complaints,” admitted a senior official. Compounding the problem were grievances about staff allegedly failing to identify themselves or hanging up abruptly. This mobile-first approach is designed to tackle these chronic issues head-on, promising a new level of responsiveness.
Another reason that prompted the management to switch over to mobile phones is the “slow and delayed action” often from the end of BSNL authorities, upon complaints of non-functional landline phones.
“The land phones at certain main depots remained non-functional for months altogether, resulting in a large number of complaints. There are also grievances regarding the staff not revealing their identity. Sometimes they hang up the phones abruptly without giving the details. Once the mobile phone comes, the call data sheet will be checked on a daily basis to find out whether the officials are replying to customer queries,” said a senior official.
While the landline phones don’t have outgoing facility, the KSRTC staff can now call back the customers upon receiving a missed call or ‘call on waiting’ through the mobile phones.
“These official mobile phones will be the responsibility of the station masters, akin to how breathalyzers are managed for the crew. They will be available round the clock, ensuring that enquiries and urgent matters can be addressed at any hour. However, the directive is strict: these phones are exclusively for official purposes, and the numbers will be widely publicised to ensure maximum public access,” he said.