Mangaluru: The National Students Union of India (NSUI) met the Divisional Controller of KSRTC, V I Hegde at his chamber at Lalbagh and submitted a memorandum here, on October 5.
Speaking to Mangalorean.com, student Rayan Monis said that on October 5, he was travelling by KSRTC bus from Dharmasthala to Mangaluru. When he showed the bus pass to the conductor, he insisted him to alight from the bus. When Rayan refused to alight from the bus, the conductor stopped the bus in front of the Punjalkatte police station and a complaint was filed against Rayan. Rayan also said, “We do not have more buses to Mangaluru from our route. Every day, we face harassment from the bus conductor.” He demanded justice to all the other students who travel by bus with a student pass.
Shamitha, who travels by KSRTC bus from Manihalla, said that the bus conductor forced her to alight from the bus after she showed her pass. She also said, “Bus conductors do not allow us to travel if they come to know that we are using the bus pass.”
Speaking to Mangalorean.com, district NSUI president Ashith Pereira said that on October 5, when a student from Roshni Nilaya was travelling by KSRTC bus from Dharmasthala, he was harassed by the bus conductor when he showed his bus pass and was forced to alight from the bus. “When the student refused to alight, the conductor stopped the bus near a police station and filed a complaint against him saying that the student was obstructing him from doing his job. NSUI condemns the false allegation by the bus conductor on the student and also the harassment faced by the students while travelling with a student bus pass.”
Ashith along with the students of Roshni Nilaya met the Divisional Controller V I Hegde. More than 25 students handed over their complaints regarding the harassment faced by them on daily basis while travelling by KSRTC buses.
Hegde assured the students that justice would be done with them. He also said that conductors should not refuse the students from travelling by KSRTC buses. “Students having bus pass and travel by KSRTC buses should be treated well and should not be harassed. We will take action against the conductor who filed a false complaint against the student,” he said.
Mithun Sequeira, Shawad Gonadka, Vinitha Fernandes, Reema and others were also present.