Dearth of Electronic Ticket Machines (ETMs) for issuing spot tickets have left Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus conductors in a soup.
Though most ticket machines have worn out, no action has been initiated to replace or repair the damaged machines.
KSRTC employees belonging to both CITU and INTUC have been demanding the replacement and repair of the machines in vain.
KSRTC authorities and government have been citing poor financial condition of the corporation as the reason for delay in settling the grievance.
“The guarantee period of most ticket machines ended a year ago. Hence, government apathy towards the replacement of the machines cannot be pardoned,” alleged office bearers of KSRT Employees Association (CITU). “We have been presenting the issue before the management for two years now,” they claimed.
What is more, damaged ETMs have forced the conductors to shy away from working overtime.
Many new conductors who are unfamiliar with the use of manual ticket racks also prefer to take duty leave as they are not provided with working ETMs.
“The conductors have not been using manual ticket racks for years. They find it strange to return to the old system as it consumes much time for tallying the ticket charge,” complained Indu Kumar, KSRTEA Kozhikode unit secretary.
Shortage of conductors is also forcing the KSRTC to reduce the number of services causing heavy loss to the corporation, he added.
According to official sources, KSRTC had initially reached an understanding with the ETM manufacturer for repairing the machines. However, with the end of the guarantee period, the company has stopped providing technical assistance.
As the government is least interested in spending money for repairing the machines, the employees are forced to collect money themselves for repairing the ETMs, they said. In Kozhikode alone there are nearly 80 ETMs of which 20 are not in working condition, they complained, adding that the remaining ones were repaired at the expense of the employees.
ETMs were introduced in the state five years ago to help reduce the labour of conductors.
Besides, the machines enabled KSRTC to cut costs related to printing and stationery.
Meanwhile, senior officials with the KSRTC claimed to have completed the tendering of the machines and the new ETMs are set be distributed by the end of July.
Source: Times of India
