Buses with black films, curtains continue to ply on city roads

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 9

With barely any check by the authorities, buses with black films and curtains inside them continue to ply on city roads, putting the safety of passengers at risk. Giving two hoots to the Supreme Court orders, a number of private buses can be spotted at the bus stand and city roads.

Despite the matter was highlighted a number of times in these columns, authorities did not take any concrete steps to ensure a permanent solution to the problem till now.

A visit to the city bus stand by this correspondent found that many buses with black films and curtains were parked there. Even on the city roads, buses could be seen plying with curtains installed on them.

When any criminal incident involving buses cropped-up in the past, such as the Delhi gangrape (2012) or the Moga bus horror (2015), the traffic authorities swung into action and launched a crackdown on the violators. But as soon as the matter subsided with the passage of time, the practice became usual.

Another bus operator said, “There were a number of bus operators using curtains and black films and if authorities take action against all of them, it would be fine with us too. In luxury AC buses, it is the passengers who often complaint about the cooling when there are no curtains.”

However, contrary to the claims of bus operators, a group of passengers declined to have requested drivers or conductors to install curtains. Rather they expressed concern about their safety and security being compromised.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Gurmeet Singh could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.