Pink buses: Govt. extends service to elders and children besides women

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Oct. 20: Roughly a month after introducing the pink bus service (exclusive to women) in Dimapur and Kohima, the state government has ordered the Nagaland State Transport department to also allow “married couples, elders, and children” to travel in the pink bus.

With the new transport system having completed a month of service in Dimapur and in Kohima, Eastern Mirror carried out a survey to assess its ‘success’ in the state’s commercial hub.

The city and pink buses ply between Chumukedima ‘first gate’ and Dimapur NST station daily. On review, it was found that the city buses cater to commuters more than the pink buses. It was easy to understand as the pink buses are meant only for women, whereas, city buses are for general use.

According to an official from the department of Nagaland State Transport, the buses start operation at 6 am. However, he informed that the number of passengers were fewer in the morning, and at times the pink buses reach Chumukedima almost empty.

The official informed that heavy rush of commuters occurs between 11 am to 2 pm. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed satisfaction with the service while mentioning that feedback from the commuters had been wonderful and that the department is working hard to provide the best service to the citizens.

He disclosed that some commuters have conveyed their gratitude stating that the bus service had saved them considerable money and made their daily schedule ‘very convenient.’

He however shared that the pink buses do not draw passengers as expected. This, he said, has prompted the Nagaland government to issue a directive allowing married couples, elders, and children to travel along with women in the pink buses.

According to the assistant general manager of NST, the new system would be implemented as soon as the department receives a copy of the government’s order. He admitted that some commuters have requested the department to improve the frequency of the bus services, stating that, at times they have to wait for almost an hour in stations to board the bus.

Towards this, he said the department is anticipating more buses from the government in the days to come to help deal with the issue.

Despite clear ground rules, the official regretted, most passengers tend to stop and board the buses from wherever they want. He however admitted that the department was yet to designate bus stops from where passengers can board.

Informing that the buses used to complete eight to ten trips per day during the early days, the official said that they now hardly makes six trips per day.

“With the coming of festive season, traffic has become very heavy. Therefore, buses now can hardly make even six trips in a day,” he stated.

While sharing her opinion and experience about the bus service, a woman who travels regularly told Eastern Mirror, “This bus service has done a great job for citizens, particularly poor ones. The fare is reasonable, and many who cannot afford auto fares in the past now utilise this service; it is also convenient and comfortable. Auto drivers in Dimapur implement their own rules as and when they like. They charge extra money at night and also increase fare when petrol price is inflated. However, even when petrol prices are slashed they continue to demand the same increased rate. It hurts our sentiments,” she shared.

Another woman opined, “It will be more convenient for commuters if the department can come out with a bus tracking App like Ola and Uber. Buses are not very frequent and there were instances when we had to wait for almost one hour for the bus to arrive. With the App we can keep track of the buses and it will definitely make the service more convenient.”

Meanwhile, one student suggested, “If the department can provide one or two buses in the morning, during school hours, to ferry only students, it will save us considerable time and even money. Auto (rickshaw) charges a lot and we cannot afford to travel by auto every day, so this is my humble suggestion and request to the department.”