KSRTC conductor suspended after female student alleges harassment on Priyadarshini bus

Thiruvananthapuram: A KSRTC conductor has been suspended after allegedly making inappropriate and insulting remarks to a Plus Two student travelling on a Priyadarshini bus in Paravur. The action was taken following a complaint that the conductor misbehaved with the student after she asked for a zero-fare ticket during the journey.

A preliminary inquiry by the KSRTC vigilance wing found a serious lapse on the part of the conductor, following which he was suspended on the directive of KSRTC CMD Dr P.S. Pramoj Shankar.

The incident took place on Saturday on the RSA 173 Priyadarshini bus operated by the Ernakulam depot on the Guruvayur-Ernakulam route. A complaint was lodged at the Paravur police station alleging that the conductor made remarks that insulted the modesty of the female student and behaved inappropriately when she asked for a ticket. KSRTC ordered an inquiry after the complaint came to light.

According to the student, she boarded the bus with four others. When the conductor came to issue tickets, he gave tickets to the other passengers but did not issue one to her. She said that when she repeatedly told him that she was a girl and requested a ticket, he questioned whether there was any way for him to know that she was a girl.

The student alleged that the conductor told her: “What is the guarantee to me that you are a girl? I can't ask you to take off your dress and check, right? You should paste it written on your chest.”

She further alleged that the conductor called other passengers and pointed at her, asking how anyone could tell that she was a girl simply by looking at her. The student said the conductor used language that was inappropriate to use with a child.

The student said she eventually got off the bus before reaching her destination. She alleged that the driver pulled the bus over, giving the conductor an opportunity to verbally abuse her. This reportedly led to a major traffic jam, while bystanders and other passengers did not intervene.

The incident occurred on a bus that departed from the Paravur KSRTC stand for Ernakulam at around 2.30 pm on Saturday. The students had boarded the bus to travel to Valluvally. According to the complaint, the student's hair had recently been cut after a visit to the Tirupati temple.

The complaint also alleged that some passengers joined the conductor in insulting the student. Other children travelling with her recorded the incident on video.

KSRTC CMD Dr P.S. Pramoj Shankar said there would be no compromise when it comes to protecting the rights and safety of passengers. He said all employees have a responsibility to behave politely and courteously towards passengers.

He added that complaints received from passengers would be examined seriously and appropriate action taken against those found responsible.