Complaints on Stray Dogs Menace & City Bus Conductors Rudeness during Commissioner of Police Phone-In Programme
Mangaluru: Among a bunch of repeated complaints about illegal street parking, illegal street vendors occupying space and creating inconveniences to public, rash driving and riding, etc, there were a few new complaints on certain issues which were never raised by the citizens earlier in the Police Commissioner’s Phone-In programme. A caller from the Bendore area complained about the menace of stray dogs, which is creating inconveniences for the walkers and pedestrians in the Mercara Hill, near Bendore Church area, and also breeding of mosquitoes due to stagnant water in that vicinity-in reply Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil assured the caller that he would forward the complaint to Mangaluru City Corporation officials to take further action.
Students and adults called in and complained about City bus conductors not returning the change after purchasing the ticket, and when requested they show a rude and harsh attitude. A student complained about bus conductors very reluctant to offer student concessional ticket price to students if they do not tender exact change, and in that case, the conductors charge full ticket fares. Police commissioner directed the complaints to city bus owners and urged them to instruct their bus conductors to change their behaviour towards passengers and also return the exact change after ticket purchase. Many bus drivers and conductors pee openly near State Bank bus stand, along the road wall; and buses with route numbers 30, 30 B, 47 C are skipping trips, were other complaints.
A citizen from Bejai area complained about not having a bus shelter near Bejai museum, and requested for speed breakers on the stretch of road between Bejai circle and KSRTC bus stand-in reply Manjunath Shetty, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said that very soon the speed breakers which have been already sanctioned, will be installed as soon as the dept receives it. Auto-rickshaw drivers operating at Deralakatte charge more than the regular rates complained a citizen, to which Patil said that he does would discuss the matter with RTO and to attach a fares list in the autos. Yet another citizen complained about On the speeding two-wheelers in front of A J Hospital, which creates panic among pedestrians, in reply the police commissioner said that he would direct the concerned traffic police in that area to crack down on such reckless riders.
City buses in order to avoid the traffic jam on Balmatta road towards Jyothi Circle/Hampankatta, are taking a diversion through Balmatta-Kaces/Athena Hospital road, which is causing inconveniences and safety issues to pedestrians, especially school children-in reply Patil said action will be taken soon as such bus drivers taking that alternate route. Water supply still not provided at Jokatte government sites even though promised by govt to do it soon-in reply the commissioner said that he would direct the matter to Deputy Commissioner to take necessary action.
Not happy with the action taken by the police even after many complaints made to the police, a caller said that there has been delay in swift response from the police control room, and urged the police commissioner to look into the issue and do the needful, for which Patil assured the caller that he will do the needful. Also, complaints during the Friday phone-in programme were regarding unscientific traffic signals at various main junctions, resulting in traffic chaos; illegal street vendors creating nuisance during night time, and also people consuming alcohol in parked vehicles near Gorigudde; among many others.
Deputy Commissioners of police- Hanumantharaya and Laxmi Ganesh; Assistant Commissioners of Police-Manjunath Shetty and Vinay Gaonkar; President of Kanara Bus Owners Association Rajavarama Ballal; Traffic Police Inspectors-Amanullah, Mohan Kottary, and Gurudath Kamath were present during the phone-in programme.
Video for illustration only