Kadamba Transport (KTCL) Goa's "Mhaji Bus Scheme" is DOA : 9 Questions
Scheme announced after "Chintan Shivir" of CM Pramod Sawant on Goa's grand future; KTCL would ply buses which were born when CM was still a bachelor!
9 questions on ambitious “Mhaji Bus Scheme” of Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd (KTCL); the official , utterly loss-making public transport carrier of Goa state.
1. While the announcement of scheme was made yesterday by KTCL Chairman, who is co-incidentally also a MLA Ulhas Tuenkar on 12th June 2023; the Scheme is supposed to start from 15th June 2023, rightaway. Too ambitious or Too late?
2. The announcement makes the number of buses that would be made available on the corresponding routes; but it does not mentions how many buses would actually ply?
Could it be safely assumed that 301 Private Bus Operators (Of Course, there would be Operators with multiple buses) have agreed to the terms and conditions and have signed the legal contract? There is no news on that either. This when, 578 private buses are only operating all over Goa; and no new Private Bus has been registered with Transport Deptt.3.Has all these buses been verified to be fit and road-worthy; because any ordinary Goan could tell that these private buses have been plying on the roads of Goa, when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was still a bachelor.
Also, the Transport Department has already issued the 15 Years Vehicle Scrapping policy; assuming that it is implemented in letter&spirit, KTCL won't be left with any buses to ply under the scheme.4.There is a MG or "Minimum Guarantee" has been provided by tby loss-making enterprise of Government of Goa to bus operators, which solely depends on how reliable and fit these antique buses are, and how well they perform on the road.
There is no detail available, what would be their regular maintenance schedule; and where they would be sent for thus, considering now that, they are almost a demi-property of the Government of Goa.5.Having a Driver provided by the Bus owner, and a Conductor provided by KTCL on the same bus, is the most potent conflict of interest.
While the Driver gets paid a fixed salary, irrespective of the number of kilometers a bus plies daily; the Conductor is accountable for the punctuality and the number of kilometers covered. The driver of the bus, has no incentive whatsoever, to listen to the Conductor of the bus and obey to his commands. They have been in the habit to rules the roost.6.There is no mention, that from where out of the blue Kadamba Transport would garner 301 additional "Bus Conductors", almost overnight? Unless, they have been kept on the bench.
7.The private bus operators, they deal everyday in Cash-and-Carry; going by the history of Government of Goa, on paying to their vendors; it is anybody's guess, if the timely payments are not made by already beleaguered public carrier of Goa to operators.
Would KTCL pay more than the normal bank-rate interest on payment delayed?8.Environment is an orphan is Goa right now. Nobody cares about it.
All these rickety old buses, of CM's bachelorhood days, spew too much toxic fumes and pollute the environment. Obviously, this thought, never came to mind of KTCL Chairman Tuenkar, a MLA himself.9.There is no mention on "penalty" clause on bus not being available on a particular day or a particular route on the Operator.
While, the bus operator already has been assured of MG for a certain number of kilometres; running an empty bus frequently to cover the mileage, would not compensate for the loss of revenue for KTCL or the loss of goodwill and severe inconvenience to passengers and citizens of Goa.