Bhubaneswar: While the state government proposes to expand its fleet, Mo Bus, however, struggles with fare evasions by passengers which causes huge loss to the exchequer.
Identified first in November last year, sources at the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) said that about 1,000 cases of fare evasions have been identified till now. While passengers are devising new methods to avoid paying complete or regular fares, they are being helped by few Mo Bus conductors.
Detailing about the modus operandi, a senior official at the CRUT said, “People are either misinforming the guide (conductor) or bribing them to avoid paying fares. For instance, a passenger boards the bus from Acharya Vihar but informs the guide that they boarded from Vani Vihar. In some cases they coax the guide to accept half the ticket amount for the ride personally and not issue a ticket.”
According to data provided by the CRUT, the public transport has seen about 40 per cent increase in passengers in the past five months. With about 75,000 riders commuting daily, Mo buses operate in 20 routes making about 1,800 trips.
Furthermore, the transport body, in order to stop the menace, issued a statement September 1 that heavy fine will be imposed on passengers travelling in buses without a ticket. As per the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, any passenger found travelling without a ticket or pass is liable to be fined up to 10 times the legal fare or 500, whichever is less. Meanwhile, guides found involved in such malpractices are fined an amount of Rs. 5,000 and will be debarred from services.
Despite making stricter laws, the theft of service continues and has resulted in fine collection of about Rs. 50 lakhs— close to 1,000 cases in the past one year. While CRUT has a 30-member team in Revenues Assurance Team (RAT) the staff crunch means a number of cases go unnoticed.
“Mo Bus means our bus. People should understand that the public transport is meant for their own good and its welfare lies in their hands. Although we will soon start awareness campaigns, people should realise that the development of the CRUT is with them,” said CRUT General Manager, Dipti Mohapatra.
Meanwhile, the Housing and Urban Development Minister, Pratap Jena recently stated that the department has set a target to make the Mo Bus services available to 1 lakh passengers in Bhubaneswar, Khurda and Cuttack by December 2019.
While the state government grants a subsidy of Rs 55 crore annually for the service, Jena proposed to procure and induct 50 electric buses to the existing fleet.
