20 June 2004	Sunday	01 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, June 19: Conductors in most of the coaches plying on various city routes have allegedly stopped issuing tickets to the commuters, which often results in quarrels, besides inconveniencing the passengers.

The public transport operators had been directed by the authorities concerned to issue tickets to the commuters to check over-charging by the conductors, and to ensure smooth journey for passengers.

The conductors had half-heartedly started issuing tickets in early May, but after two or three weeks they started reverting to their old style, a group of commuters told the APP on Saturday.

They said that now a majority of the bus and coach conductors, especially those on Muslim, Mehran and Star Line routes, refused to issue tickets and allegedly over-charge the commuters.

The commuters called for strict action against those public transport operators, who violated traffic rules and regulations.

They alleged that the transporters did not follow the prescribed routes for the vehicles, made so many stops, dropped passengers in the middle of roads, overloaded passengers, played obscene songs, installed unnecessary mirrors, which created embarrassment for women commuters etc.

The commuters also pointed out that against the official orders for a separate women compartment in the public transport, majority of the transporters had adopted tricky methods to violate the said orders.

Instead of properly fixing the grills separating male and female sections, they used nuts and bolts to fix the grills, which could be easily removed when felt 'necessary' by the driver and conductors, they alleged.

"On most of their routes, especially in the outskirts of the city, they keep the partitions open and allow male passengers into female compartments. However, the conductors put nuts and bolts on the grills at certain points to dodge the traffic police personnel," some female commuters, frequently travelling by coaches on Muslim and Mehran routes complained.-APP