BMTC ‘ignores’ revenue leak

BMTC ‘ignores’ revenue leak
The corporation is losing a huge sum of money through conductors and ticket-less passengers because of its apathy to recruit enough line checking staff for all routes
SUCHITH KIDIYOOR


Have you wondered why conductors in the city buses get away without issuing tickets? Well, here is the answer: There are not many line checking officials to catch them.
Shortage of line checking officials is taking its toll on the revenue generation of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). At present, the corporation has only 83 line checking officials, but the number is not enough to check even one per cent of the over 20 lakh trips it operates every month.
Despite these officials, during last one year, penalising more than one lakh passengers t ravelling without tickets or passes and thereby adding Rs 89 lakh to the revenue of the corporation, it is yet to strengthen the squad.
30 MORE INSPECTORS
A BMTC official admitted, “It is true we do not have sufficient line checking officials to curb the menace. Though we deploy officials to check the line round the clock, they can check one per cent of the total trips we operate. Soon, we will deploy 30 more assistant traffic inspectors in the line checking department.”
TARGETS SET
In order to make them more efficient, the BMTC has set targets for the line checking officials.
An official said, “They have been asked to collect penalty of Rs 20,000 from the ticket-less passengers and Rs 2,500 pilferage amount from conductors and driver cum conductors who cheat on the corporation. Besides, they are also asked to issue a minimum of 20 memos to conductors who commit severe offences and show indiscipline while on duty. These targets are not fixed. They change every month.”
The Corporation has more than 30 batches of line checking officials who work round the clock.