Bantwal, April 18, 2015: Some sort of chaos had prevailed outside the KSRTC office at Bantwal on April 16, Thursday night after the officials reportedly turned apathetic to the complaints of passengers who after a long wait for the buses on Dharmasthala route, intercepted a KSRTC bus which was overcrowded.
To add fuel to the fire, a head constable who rushed to the spot, allowed the intercepted KSRTC bus to move but made no effort to hear the problems of the passengers and even did not try to arrange for a bus for the stranded passengers.
As per a petition submitted by affected passengers as many as two buses that arrived after a gap of two hours were overcrowded that night.
It was also alleged that several appeals to the KSRTC to run additional buses on the route during peak hours had been of no avail. With buses plying irregularly on the route, passengers after a long wait opt to travel by some other vehicles finding no other way many times, they pointed out.
If the passengers have warned of severe protest by blocking KSRTC buses on the highway, the KSRTC claims that it was facing shortage of drivers and conductors. It also says that with many crew hailing from other district take long leaves leading to the problem.
With no solution to the problem, the frustrated passengers are now demanding the authorities to permit contract carriage buses on the route.