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Kozhikode: The incidents reported from various parts of Kerala suggest that many private bus operators are flouting rules on student concession fares.
Not just that. Some bus staffers are allegedly using foul language and issuing threats to students who question this injustice.
The issue is normalised and students end up paying the fare the bus staffers decide according to their whims and fancies. In Malappuram, students complain that they are being charged Rs 5 in place of Rs 1. In Thrissur, police intervened in the complaint of students against a conductor and ended up in forcing the bus owner to sack him as he did not have the conductor licence.
Many a time, complaints over such issues fetch no interventions from police or Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) officials, students say. With no proactive checks and balances, the students have been dancing to the tunes of staffers to avoid conflict.
It may be noted that the MVD on its website has information about the student concession ticket. However, it remains cumbersome for a commoner to decode the information provided.
On the other hand, MVD had beefed up measures for assuring the rights of the students in the wake of school reopening in the academic year 2022-23. But as time went on, the officials concerned are not seen as proactive in resolving the issues faced by the students.
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