Ticketless birds board a bus, conductor pays the price

It was a brush with bad luck for this conductor belonging to the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).

It all started with a passenger carrying love birds in a cage on a bus travelling from Hyderabad to Aurad in Bidar district. As per rules, Ashok Hilalapura, the conductor, told the passenger to buy half a ticket each for the avian couple, but the passenger firmly refused to do so.

The passenger found instant support from co-travellers, who cited the ‘ridiculousness’ of charging lightweight birds that occupy hardly any space on the bus.

Sensing that it was prudent to go by mob logic than quote the rule book, the conductor decided to allow a free ride for the birds.

But as luck would have it, the vigilance personnel boarded the bus midway. They found that the passenger-carrying the birds had not bought tickets for the latter.

They took the conductor to task and sent a report on the matter to higher-ups. Acting on the report, the Bidar divisional controller of KKRTC has kept the conductor under suspension.

Ashok, who has been in service for 24 years now, explains the whole episode, “The passenger should have bought half tickets costing Rs 114 each for the birds. But I was bogged down by arguing passengers and the vigilance staff only did their job. The passenger could have been fined, but I ended up being punished.”

Bidar divisional controller Narayan Gowdageri told DH that tickets should be purchased for any avian accompanist of a passenger or even a pup. He clarified that the passenger can be fined 10 times the fare and the conductor can be suspended.

He said action would be taken against any official pilfering the corporation’s money and a criminal case will be registered.