DC directs to slash bus fare
Transport department public contact meeting
Mangaluru, July 24: Taking exception to the unilateral decision of the Dakshina Kannada District Bus Owners Association to increase the bus fare without taking permission from the District Transport Authority, Deputy Commissioner and Authority Chairman Sasikanth Senthil directed the association to slash the bus fare increased by it.
Responding to the public grievances at a public contact meeting held at the Transport Department here on Tuesday, Transport department deputy commissioner (incharge) John Miskith said that the Bus Owners Association had increased the bus fare without getting the permission from the District Transport Authority and listening to the public opinion and gave an advertisement in the newspapers in last April. They were collecting more fare from the passengers. As he has received public complaint against this practice, it was brought to the notice of the Authority Chairman. Following this, the Chairman had served a notice to the Association. Against this, the association had appealed to the State Transport Authority which sought clarification from the district authority. In view of this, the district Authority has cancelled the decision taken by the association unilaterally and instructed the association that fare hike or decrease should be discussed in the Authority meeting and decided. The association was also asked to respond to the notice within three days. If the order was not honoured, the Authority would take action against the Association, he said. .
Some of the participants Jerald Towers Kadri, Dinesh Shetty, Naizil Albukark and others raised the issue of harsh horn and tickets were also not issuing. If asked, the bus operators give reasons. Some time, they miss the regular routes and run the buses, they said demanding action.
But Misquith assured of taking action if particular route and bus names were given.
Some buses which come from other places were given permission till Kottara and Infosys and it should be extended to Kottara Chowki. If the buses stopped at Kottara- Infosys, it would cause inconvenience to the passengers, said Chandramohan.
Cancel seats reserved for women
Social worker BS Hasanabba said that the authority should cancel reservation of seats for women in buses, because, even if the seats were vacant, women occupy the seats of men. Moreover, the women who sat on the seats reserved for senior citizens would respond indifferently when they were asked to shift to their seats. Bus conductors should insist the women to sit in their reserved seats. If not, the reservation of seats for women passengers should be cancelled, he demanded.
Kannada board demanded
Majority of the vehicles including buses have been using English boards. So, the owners of the vehicles should be directed to write in Kannada, said GK Bhat.
John Misquith said that such problems were there because of shortage of sufficient staff in the department. The department was trying to solve majority of the problems, he said.
Appreciating his work, Bhat said that after taking over the charge, he was working for the people. But previous officials were behaving like the agents of the private bus owners. You were against to such culture. So, take stringent action against the bus staff which violate norms, he demanded.
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Belagavi youth’s murder case projected as road accident, cracked in Uttara Kannada; Three arrested
Karwar: Uttara Kannada police have cracked a murder case in which a Belagavi youth was killed and his body burnt inside a car to make it appear like a road accident.
Addressing a press meet in the city, Superintendent of Police Deepan M.N. said three accused from Old Hubballi have been arrested in connection with the case. The crime was a pre-planned act driven by personal enmity, he said.
The case came to light on April 8 morning when a car (KA-04/MJ-8996) was found completely burnt in a roadside ditch near Talekumbri bus stand in Yellapur. Only charred human remains were found inside the vehicle. Initially, it was suspected to be an accident caused by overspeeding, and a case was registered at Yellapur police station based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s father, Jagannath Dhapale.
However, the father later expressed suspicion that his son’s death was not accidental, prompting a detailed investigation.
Taking the matter seriously, two special teams were formed under the leadership of Yellapur Inspector Ramesh Hanapur. On analysing technical evidence and CCTV footage, police found that it was a planned murder.
The accused have been identified as Abdul Raheem Basheer Ahmed Mujawar (32), Maulasab Bavahan Wada (36) and Dadapeer alias Aftab Mehboob Saab Balasangi (22), all chicken traders from Old Hubballi.
Police have seized the car used in the crime along with two scooters. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
Investigations revealed that the accused killed Nitesh Dhapale due to personal enmity and later set the car on fire along with the body to project it as an accident.
SP Deepan M.N. appreciated the efforts of Inspector Ramesh Hanapur, PSIs Rajashekhar Vandali and Siddappa Gudi, and the entire team for solving the complex case.
