After Transport Department officials said to travel by bus at least once a week, Delhi Transport Corporation bus commuters urged authorities to ensure the bus driver goes to every passenger to issue a note.

DTC commuters face several difficulties in buying tickets during rush hours as the driver remains seated in his seat and commuters have to approach them. However, in all other states, conductors take a ride to ensure that each passenger has the ticket.

“Why should DTC bus conductors bring passengers to them to issue tickets, rather than getting up and going to each traveler? This system is 40-50 years old and it should be changed. Like the national highway bus driver who visits each commuter to issue tickets. It is the responsibility of DTC drivers to ensure that passengers are not without a ticket. The duty of the driver is to make sure that every passenger who travels has the tickets, and if not, he must issue them one,” said a commuter traveling on the 118 bus service running the route. between Mori Gate and Mayur Vihar.

Another DTC commuter who boarded the bus to cover the approximately 400-meter distance to Model Town, said the bus driver did not even get up from the seat to issue the ticket. I couldn’t reach the driver because the bus was packed and there was no place for me to pick him up. At the next stop the ticket checkers got on the bus and caught me for not having the ticket and fined me even after I told them about the situation. In other states, the driver himself approaches the passengers to give the ticket, but in Delhi, this is the major problem for a daily passenger.

A person who did not wish to be named, boarded the bus from Karkardooma to Laxmi Nagar, said the Marshal who was present on the bus was sitting on the seat, while female passengers were standing on the bus and when he asked the Marshal to offer his seat to a female passenger, he refused and misbehaved.

The hardships of the commuters don’t end there, because after buying the ticket, they have to keep their pockets safe from thieves, even after the marshal has been appointed by the state government, to maintain the law and order in the buses. Instead of performing their duties, they enjoy the bus ride and sit in their seats. Female commuters still do not feel safe while traveling on the bus as the bus marshals have failed miserably in performing their duties.

DTC Director General (MD), Neeraj Semwal, told The Pioneer that no complaints about drivers had been received by the DTC. We will inspect the issue and take strict action against drivers who engage in this type of activity.

“The duty of marshals is to ensure the safety of passengers against pickpockets and thieves, to maintain public order on the bus and to ensure that every commuter gets the seat, even if he has to offer his,” he said.

“We will take strict action against marshals who sit in their seats. A negative report will be filed and sent to the Department of Revenue and Home Guards Chief Executive and the Marshal will be removed from his post with immediate effect,” Semwal said.