PASSENGERS ARE HARRIED LOT AS THE GOVERNMENT BUS STAND AT ARA LACKS BASIC FACILITIES

PASSENGERS ARE HARRIED LOT AS THE GOVERNMENT BUS STAND AT ARA LACKS BASIC FACILITIES

16-SEP-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------Once the Government Bus Depot at Ara was counted at the forefront in Bihar and it did not need to petrol and diesel from other petrol pumps as the Ara Bus Depo had its own petrol pump, its own servicing centre and a repairing centre and people prefer government buses to private ones but due to government neglect everything gradually got closes. Petrol pump has been closed for a long time while the repairing centre and servicing centre are also on the verge of closure.

The Government Bus Stand run by the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation for the convenience of the passengers is groaning due to inconveniences and the neglect of the officials concerned.  Passengers are not getting minimum facilities prescribed by the government and are forced to face a lot of problems and troubles. Though the fact is that the Government earned a handsome revenue from the Bus Depot at Ara. The Government Bus Depot at Ara is one of the oldest government Bus Depots in Bihar but at present a victim of administrative and government apathy and neglect for years. As a result, the residents of Bhojpur district are not getting proper facilities of transportation and due to which they are very upset.

The Central Government is running the Swachchh Bharat Mission on one hand while on the other, the Bihar government is running the Lohia Swachchh Abhiyan but they do not seem to have any effect on government departments either. Hundreds of passengers travel daily from the government Bus Stand at Ara but the condition of the toilets built for their convenience is quite pathetic and the passengers never use them. This causes a lot of problems for the passengers. There is no separate toilet facility for the employees. The Government Bus Stand at Ara has a waiting room for the passengers but it is of no use for the passengers as they prefer to wait for buses standing outside as its condition is pathetic filth and garbage are filled in the premises and the waiting room never cleaned.

Buses for Chhapara, Bhabhua, Buxar Sasaram, Patna originate from Ara Depot of Bihar State Road Transport Corporation so that the people of the Bhojpur district can get transportation facilities.

Five old buses are operated from Ara depot of the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) but due to government neglect the buses are 15 years old, their condition is quite deplorable and they are not repaired properly. The hapless and poor passengers are somehow travel in these buses risking their limbs. Besides, five new buses are also in operation and three new buses are on contact basis. The five old buses are operated from Ara to Sasaram via Piro while out of five new buses, three buses are operated from Ara to Chhapara, one bus from Ara to Buxar and one bus from Bhabhua to Aghaura. New buses on contact are run from Patna to Sasaram via Ara but due to pitiable condition of the old buses, the passengers are afraid of reaching their destination in case the bus breaks midway. This has happened many times.

A total of 17 drivers and 15 conductors are employed by the BSRTC at Ara Depot but their salaries are not paid on time due to which the employees face a lot of problems. On the other hand, a lot of irregularities are done in the buses of the BSRTC. Many people travel without tickets. The New buses operated from the Ara buses stand yields revenue of Rs. 17000 par day while the old buses earn Rs. 15000 a day. The bus stand earns revenue through tickets booked by the passengers.