Mangaluru: A private bus owner battled for over four months against political ill will and district administration’s laxity to restore bus service. People celebrated over the decision to repose faith in the prompt services offered by the bus operator earlier, by bursting crackers and distributing sweets on November 30, when court intervened.
Uday Kumar Shetty, a resident of Thoudugoli, a prominent BJP leader in the area, has been running a bus named Balettodu Travels for the last three years with a valid licence. The bus earlier operated between State Bank and Thoudugoli via Kotekar and Beeri villages .However, when people travelling in that route dwindled in number, he sought permission from the court and eventually succeeded in getting permission to operate the bus in an alternative route via Deralakatte and Kuthar.
Soon Uday Kumar Shetty started facing opposition from other bus operators, who succeeded in stalling his bus service by informing police and Regional Transport Authority (RTO) by employing political pressure. The owner accompanied by villagers in the area, approached the RTO to grant permission to operate the bus in the new route and produced all the valid documents including tax paid receipts to support their claim. Unfortunately, RTO turned a blind eye to their woes which forced Uday and his flock to approach the deputy commissioner to resolve the problem.
To their misfortune, even the DC and officialdom showed their helplessness to resolve the tangle citing political pressure, it is alleged. With all options running out, Uday once again approached the court, accusing the district administration of contempt of court’s earlier order and pleaded to serve a contempt notice against the authorities concerned. When court decided to set the process in motion to issue contempt notice, all of a sudden, the administration concerned and transport officials granted permission in a hurry restoring the bus service with no changes in operating terms conditions.
People of all communities from Thoudugoli village celebrated the moment the bus service was restored, by bursting crackers and distributing sweets on November 30.
Uday, as a token of gratitude to people supporting his cause offered two free trips to all passengers on the D- day. In the end, he requested everyone including his political opponents not to cause inconvenience to general public owing to political ill will and other forms of enmity.
Some leaders accused the transport and district administration including police of succumbing to political pressure to appease their respective bosses at the cost of injustice to masses.
“The losses and the suffering I underwent is known to me alone and wish it does not recur”, said bus owner Uday Kumar Shetty summarising the whole episode despite him being on the winning side.
