Augusto Rodrigues
Passengers travelling on monthly EV AC buses of Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) shuttle service between Panjim and Margao are irked that they now have to use regular shuttle buses or wait till an EV AC bus arrives.
These EV AC buses are now plying from the Manohar International Airport to various destinations in Goa.
The move by the KTC to leave passengers who pay Rs 1815 per month – it was Rs 1215 till October 2022 – to either use normal buses or wait till the EV AC buses are available has not gone down well with the travelling public.
The KTC Managing Director Derrick Pereira, who is not happy about the situation either, thinks passengers should complain to the organisation and not to the media.
“When I asked the man at the counter as to why there were no EV AC buses, I was categorically told that the buses have been earmarked to ply from the new airport in Mopa, and hence they could do nothing,” stated Luis D’Silva, a pass holder.
“Passengers who have bought the monthly passes for the Panjim-Margao EV AC shuttle service need to wait for the bus to arrive. If a passenger reaches the counter at 8 am, it is wrong of him to expect an EV AC bus to be waiting to transport him. He will need to wait,” Derrick Pereira, Managing Director of KTC told GT Media.
“Honestly, I do not know of there being no buses or that buses have been shifted to the new airport as I have yet to receive a complaint. Therefore, I cannot comment. I ask you to advise the passengers to write to us instead of complaining to the press,” added Derrick.
Traveller Luis da Silva had on Wednesday posted the following on his Facebook page:
“As a daily travellers using the Kadamba Electric shuttle bus, we are being totally inconvenienced ever since Mopa airport has been opened. Many electric buses have been diverted to ferry passengers from Mopa airport to their destinations. Is this to be done at the cost of the local public who are using the fantastic service every day?
“Recently the monthly pass charges were hiked considerably, we purchase the monthly pass for the AC EV bus, but what we travel in is a rickety, noisy, road-unworthy tin box. Isn’t this cheating the daily commuter?
“Why should the daily commuter pay for the comfort of the air passenger arriving in Goa? I know many co-travellers who have stopped driving to their destination daily and have shifted to the AC EV bus, for obvious reasons. That should be the way forward if we really want to go green and reduce unnecessary traffic snarls. I hope someone in some position of power is going to listen.”
“I used to take the monthly pass but have now stopped travelling because I am told that I have to wait for half an hour or more for an EV AC bus. This is ridiculous. We were never in such a predicament, and this started in January of this year,” said Jonathan Braganza.
“We have been informed that the EV AC buses are plying from Mopa airport by the staff of Kadamba. It is strange that the staff are aware and the managing director is in the dark,” Queenie Miranda said with a deadpan expression.
“We made a written representation that a shuttle service should be made available at 6.30 am or at least 7 am to help us reach our school in time,” said Queenie.
But the same was denied by Derrick. “I have received no representation,” he quipped.
“I bought the pass for the EV AC bus without hesitation because the service was good. We had never to wait for a bus as is happening now. It was passenger friendly and that is why a lot of us opted to travel by bus instead of our cars,” stated another AC EV pass holder Joaquim Sequeira.
GMR, the operator of Manohar International Airport in Mopa, silenced critics by getting the airport operational on time. Their impeccable time management appears to have left daily commuters high and dry and at a loss.
