GSRTC extends mobile service on buses

Senior officials said the facility has been extended to most of the routes and the conductors have been given mobile phones with two of the popular service providers.

“These phones have been given to the conductors. Whoever wants to use the facility can make calls and pay the required amount for the calls to the conductors,” said Raj Gopal,Vice Chairman and Managing director of GSRTC.

Officials further said that very few are aware of this facility. Vadodara Divisional Controller V S Trivedi said the facility is not very popular,even in the rural areas.

“Of the 50 passengers,30 have mobile phones. Therefore,people generally ask their co-passengers if they need to make calls. But if there is a requirement,the conductor has to make the mobile phone available to the passenger and charge the necessary amount,” he said.

On their part,bus conductors at the state Transport Bus Stand in Vadodara said they were not given any special phones by the authorities. “We have received instructions that we are supposed to extend help to passengers in need. But we do it anyway out of goodwill. This is not a new facility,just a makeover,” said Sachin Gaekwad,a bus conductor.

Interestingly,GSRTC has listed the introduction of mobile phones in the buses as one of its achievements,on its website.