Punjab Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Thursday, cautioned government and private bus drivers and conductors to immediately stop harassing passengers.
S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that the complaints have been received during visits to various places in the state and through official phone and emails that drivers and conductors of Punjab Roadways, PRTC and private bus operators are mistreating passengers. “It has also been heard that sometimes there are even quarrels with passengers, videos of which are often going viral on social media”, said the Cabinet Minister.
The Transport Minister said that in addition to this, complaints are also being received that drivers/conductors of government and private buses are not stopping at prescribed stops and are troubling passengers by dropping them off before or after their designated stops, causing inconvenience to the general public.
The Cabinet Minister said that due to this kind of behavior of government and private bus employees, the image of the Transport Department is being adversely affected in general public.
Keeping in view the problems of the common man, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar instructed the department officials to increase checking and ensure proper behavior with passengers through regional offices for drivers/conductors of government buses. He directed that drivers and conductors should be instructed to properly board and deboard passengers at designated bus stops and ensure that this practice is followed up.
S. Bhullar said that the department should also ensure that owners of private bus operators and their private management organizations are issued instructions to treat general passengers properly and to keep their drivers/conductors disciplined and maintain good behaviour with passengers.
Besides this, it should be ensured that bus drivers and conductors working in government and private sectors undergo mandatory training to maintain good behavior with the general public and learn about road safety rules thoroughly before joining the service, he added.
