MVD gives bus drivers a taste of their own medicine

Drivers of private buses operating along the Beach Road on the Vypeen-Munambam stretch notorious for their incessant honking were given a taste of their own medicine by the officials of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) recently.

The North Paravur Sub Regional Transport Office had received several complaints from the public about the drivers’ penchant for incessant honking. That many buses featured air horns made the problem even worse.

So, the officials decided to focus on this problem during a drive held last week. Before long, they waved down a bus driven by a driver who seemed to have a special liking for honking.

Not only did the officials charge him, but he was returned the favour he often bestowed on the public. He was made to stand in front of the bus and the conductor was asked to honk. This gave the driver a good idea of the discomfort his incessant honking caused others.

On the conduct

of conductors

Conductors of private buses in the city better learn to behave themselves; that is, if they wish to hang on to their jobs.

Fed up of constant complaints about their unruly behaviour, the MVD has reached for the whip as it seems in no mood to brook any more nonsense.

The message was loud and clear when Ernakulum Regional Transport Officer P.H. Sadik Ali earlier this week suspended the licence of three conductors. The charges included the humiliating of students for their concessional travel and failure to give due consideration to senior citizens.

More, it is learned, are under the scanner as the MVD mounts the heat on erring conductors to make them fall in line. The writing on the wall was clear when the Regional Transport Authority last month decided to engage Kudumbasree workers as conductors in buses. It was welcomed by bus operators who also seemed happy to be spared of the antics of male conductors.

Close to 100 women were trained and issued conductor licence and they are likely to be inducted into the service gradually.

M.P. Praveen