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by E. Weerapperuma

The bus fares have gone up in both cluster bus companies and that of the private sector buses. The bus travellers have to bear the cost ungrudgingly for even if you resent there is no option. The only option is to walk recalling to mind that it is good to walk Evidda paya dahas watee (walks, worth a million).

Remember many bigwigs who travel in their luminous office and private vehicles do walk in the 'Health Zone' adjoining the Sports Ministry under the watchful eyes of the Sri Lanka's First Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake at the Independence Square.

So why not mortals like us. Of course you and I cannot walk miles and that is true enough. It is also true that the increase in fare is something unavoidable as the increase is thrust upon the authorities to do so due to increase in price of oil in the world market. Hence the increase in bus fare is justified.

Transport Minister Felix Perera had a novel idea in respect of the increase in bus fares. In his interview on TV the other day he said that he was thinking of charging Rs. two in respect of a kilometre or two and then increase by one rupee and by not mere cents 50 knowing well the passengers do not get the balance fifty cents. But his 'golden idea' to make the people walk short distance got unstuck.

Now... now... I do not think any one will grudge having to pay that few cents or rupees extra. But there are other things they like to highlight.There are things to grudge about......

The first thing is that the bus owners, and both the conductors and drivers forget that they enter into a contract with the passengers the moment the people get into a bus. The contract is 'I pay you - you provide me the facility for a comfortable ride'.

But this is no where in the mind of the conductor nor the driver and it is quite possible that this idea is not even in the minds of the bus owners or the travellers themselves. That is why the conductor is rather shy to give a bus ticket to the value of the money you and I pay.

He gives you a ticket at times but not for the real value. It is a mere eyewash. The traveller is taken for a ride. When he realises that he has been taken for ride it is far too late.

In the event the bus meet with an accident or some mishap, there is no way to seek help. For you do not have a ticket in the first place or a ticket to the value of money you pay. The conductor will disclaim your presence in the bus at the time of the mishap or the accident.

In most of the cases no bus ticket is issued though you have the warning hanging before you 'To travel without a bus ticket is a punishable offence'. But you dare not ask for a ticket. If you ask, he will frown at you. He will greet you with the most 'usual way' he greets those question him with that 'unpalatable words' which you cannot swallow or stomach.

The bus owners know nothing or pretend to show they know nothing of this type of episodes. They hardly travel even in disguise to watch how their people play the game. So they just brush aside if you make a complain. Any way `do we really get that comfortable right to travel' is million dollars worth a question.

We become daily travellers long after our school days. In our school days many of us would have walked miles. But times have changed. People wait at the bus halts even to go a short distance. May be they like the greetings he/she gets from the conductor.

School children keep adding to the bus queue when they could have walked the distance, if and when they go to a nearby school. May be they wanted to have a rehearsal in the bus before they go to the field to do their morning physical exercises or 'drills'.

We are daily travellers in these very same buses despite cursing them for there is no option. They count on our patience. Once a bus comes to a halt they wait until those in homes get ready to come to the road. And we keep on counting time.

Adjusting our watches, thinking that our wrist watches give a wrong time. They are eating into our times and we murmur kala-kanni. No one has the strength to question the undue delay.....knowing well the answer you get mixed with beautiful words in the early hours of a morning. They take undue time to go from one bus halt to another. There is no one to check.

Even if you have, they are not fit to be doing that job. The bus conductor from one end and the driver from the other call people to get in and from both sides people get in like North meeting South. The driver peeping on to the side glass noticing another bus on its way, release the gears and people entering from both sides knock or are put in an embracing position. There are stories.

It is high-time the authorities look into these matters though written in a very mild manner. But this is a serious matter for the authorities to ensure that the conductors issue bus tickets to the value the passengers pay. They should see that the buses are comfortable, roadworthy and the conductors and the drivers treat passengers respectfully, and mostly see that buses ply to the scheduled times.

The underlined fact is that most of the conductors are not well trained to carry on with their job. They are sometime just part timers and no training at all. Hence the authorities should start training them. Make it a `must' that they undergo training and see that they are well disciplined. The lack of these lead to lot of heart-burns and make the traveller unhappy.

Before the bus-take over, the private sector ran buses beautifully and there was strict discipline.This is very much lacking today. While increasing the fares, it is good, if the authorities see that the traveller is looked after well by those taking the responsibility of providing good transport service.

The CTB begun with high ideals was a good service before the introduction of private bus service in a mass scale. The State realising its inability to meet the increasing demands of the travelling public thought it is useful to invite the private sector to run buses. But they seem to have taken the whole country for a ride and the public are placed at their mercy. That should not be the case.

Like the private sector mudalalis prior to 1950s, there should be that rule of law, the discipline on the road, a must.

People are very realistic and pragmatic. They know what is possible to do. It is the authorities that should learn from the wisdom of the people and implement their decision to make the traveller feel happy although he has to pay a little more.

We wait to see the dawn of that day with eagerness.

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