Dinesh Kamath's news item 'NMMT authorities equip commuters with special powers' that was published in Newsband

NMMT authorities equip commuters with special powers

Warn drivers and conductors not to misbehave with commuters

(Above) Pictures of ordinary NMMT bus and Volvo bus

NAVI MUMBAI: Just recently a private Volvo bus in Andhra Pradesh caught fire, charring 45 passengers to death. Since then Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport authorities have been very careful. They are now checking the safety levels in NMMT’s air-conditioned Volvo buses to ensure safe travel in its air-conditioned buses.

NMMT has 28 air-conditioned Volvo buses and these vehicles connect different parts of the city, including Mumbai. These buses have three engineers to carry out their maintenance works at the Turbhe depot. Hence the AC Volvo buses of NMMT have not suffered from any technical problems, so far.

After the incident at Andhra Pradesh, the drivers of NMMT Volvo buses have been asked to fill up the bus card properly so that technical problems, if any, can be corrected in time. The NMMT authorities have made it mandatory for the drivers to fill up the bus card.

While checking these Volvo buses it was found that fire extinguishers were missing in many buses. However, NMMT authorities have promised to install fire extinguishers in all the Volvo buses. All the conductors and drivers are warned that if there is any damage to their buses they should inform the authorities immediately, failing which action will be taken against them.

All AC Volvo buses have two emergency exit windows that can be opened or broken during emergency. These windows have instructions as to how to open these emergency windows. There is also a hammer kept ready to break open the window. All these emergency windows will soon have instructions in Marathi, Hindi and English languages to make it readable to people who understand any one of these three languages. The NMMT authorities will appoint officials to make surprise visit to check whether the buses are in proper condition. They want to ensure that commuters don’t face any problem anytime during the travel.

NMMT authorities have also come up with strict warning that nobody should be allowed free rides in AC buses, may they be even the employees of NMMT. Fares will be collected from all of them, they assured. If anybody is found travelling without ticket, fine of Rs 300 will be imposed on them may they be even corporators or members of transport committee.

Another warning that NMMT authorities have sent out to the NMMT bus conductors and drivers is that they should not misbehave with the commuters. The NMMT staff member will have to face strict disciplinary action of he is caught troubling the commuters. Just recently 17 drivers and conductors had to face such action since the commuters with whom they had misbehaved had lodged complaint against them with the NMMT authorities. This resulted in reprimanding of nine drivers while eight conductors were forced to go on leave-without-pay for two days. The NMMT authorities have promised to attend to every complaint handed to them by commuters and the staff members who are found guilty of having misbehaved with the commuters will be penalized. This will force those drivers who don’t halt the buses at the stipulated bus stops and those conductors who ask the commuters to get down if they don’t possess the change to be very careful since one complaint against them can cost them their job. The conductors are told that they should keep enough coins with them so that such a situation doesn’t arise. Another thing is a staffer of NMMT who commits error for the second time will be much more strictly dealt with.  

Rash drivers who are menace to the pedestrians as well as commuters will also have to face severe action from NMMT authorities according to whom such type of driving also damages the bus.

Commuters have been asked to complain at 9321111141 and provide full details like the bus number, route and time of the incident against those NMMT staff members who fail in their duty so that an inquiry can be conducted immediately and proper action can be taken against the culprit. Commuters can also send detailed SMS on the same number.

Thus the commuters of NMMT buses have been equipped with this new power by the NMMT authorities. The mobile number on which the complaints should be conveyed will be prominently displayed on a signboard behind the driver’s seat. The NMMT authorities have also asked their staff members to maintain their vehicles properly, wash them regularly, inform the authorities immediately in case they find faults in the vehicle, deal politely with the commuters and not to speak on the mobile while driving. The NMMT authorities have warned that strict action will be taken against those staff members who don’t observe the above-mentioned instructions.

Thane guardian minister Ganesh Naik has asked NMMT authorities as well as Mayor Sagar Naik to provide 75% concession for disabled passengers travelling in NMMT buses. A proposal relating to this will soon be put up in the NMMC general body meeting. Such discounts are provided in BEST, railways and state transport buses. Ganesh Naik’s argument was that why NMMT shouldn’t have the same facility for their physically challenged commuters, especially when senior citizens are enjoying this facility in NMMT buses.

Thus many commuters who travel by NMMT buses are heaving a sigh of relief for having been equipped with such powers by the NMMT authorities and they feel sure that henceforth they will not have any problem while travelling by these buses.