Konkan specials by public transport undertakings end up as damp squibs

@hepzia

Mumbai: The much touted Ganpati special travel l services for Konkan region, ended up as a damp squib with very few takers for it. Only one Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus had departed from its Borivali depot in the week from August 13 to 19, that too with just four passengers on board. The rest of the buses had to be cancelled as passengers failed to turn up.

The only one bus service that operated from Borivali to Kankavli on August 17, had just four passengers with health certificates while the rest of 11 reserved ticketed passengers were not allowed to board either due to not having Covid negative certificates or they simply did not turn up. 

Despite such a dismal response, a dozen odd MSRTC buses continued to ply on the Konkan routes. The public response has drastically reduced since August 13 onwards after a Covid negative health certificate was made mandatory for the Konkan region. Between August 13 – 19, only one bus with just four passengers from Mumbai left for its destination in the Konkan region.

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“Prior to August 12 when the health certificates were not made mandatory, the MSRTC ferried about 10,000 passengers in about 400 services to Konkan,” public relations officer of MSRTC Abhijeet Bhonsale told thenews21. He further said “Though the MSRTC would be starting inter-district bus services within Maharashtra from August 20 onwards, they will not be insisting on health certificates or even e-passes to travel. While buses plying to Konkan region will continue to insist on Covid negative health certificates as prerequisite to travel, no such stipulation will be needed for travel to other parts of Maharashtra in the same ST buses’ ‘.

“This is because the local authorities in Konkan have insisted on such certification for those who wish to travel there. However, there is no such request from other districts and hence such health clearances may not be mandatory for people travelling to rest of Maharashtra,” Bhonsale stated. The train services towards Konkan too have registered very low passenger ridership.  

However, the railway authorities argue that trains will not be cancelled despite dismal passenger turnout. “Trains once scheduled are not cancelled. So, they will continue to ply irrespective of the number of passengers on it. While the response on trains towards Konkan is poor, we are registering very good responses for return trains from Konkan,” said L.K. Verma, chief public relations officer of the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.

Incidentally, the trains too have received poor response despite the railways not insisting on health certificates. “As responsible citizens, we expect passengers to check for Covid as a moral responsibility. While a certification may not be mandatory for entering the railway or train premises, there will be emphasis on standard protocols to be followed,” Verma stated.