Dear Sir/Madam,

This is in regards to the buses and condition of roads in Kanyakumari district which are still pathetic.
I have been a resident of Kanyakumari district for years now where the condition of the state buses is pathetic. Having seen the condition of buses going bad from day to day, nowadays even worse, I am initiating this plea to  to find justice to the people of my district who I believe to my knowledge are humans too.

First of all, let me support my views with the following pics of buses and roads in Kanyakumari district.

Supporting link for what I said is here

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1rwWiDQFpSjMWhtT1d2aTR2Q00 – Photos as on 10-04-2014

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1rwWiDQFpSjUkRnQlpEZWRjaUk - Photos as on 30-01-2015

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1rwWiDQFpSjNWpvMzdVN3Flbm8 – Photos as on 24-10-2015

Well, there are many more pics that I couldn’t upload but the fact is that no matter whatever we do, the condition of buses never changes. Recently I saw a bus on bus Reg. No. TN 74 N 1256 in which the window pane was not even there and the body plate of the bus over the window was literally flying with the bus moving. Hope the dreadful condition of the bus can be imagined and thereby the fate of passengers who have been helplessly traveling in such buses for the past 2 decades in similar conditions. The condition of the buses is not hidden from the District Collector Mr. Sajjan Singh R. Chavan, who has done nothing in this regard. The Chief Minister's office has also been informed to help us with the situation through filing petition on the CM Cell, but through false reports being submitted by officials those petitions were closed citing that the necessary repairs have been done while the ground reality is that no concrete actions have been taken. Following are few registration numbers of buses that ply around Marthandam depot that I could collect.

TN 74 N 1617
TN 74 N1136
TN 75 N 1229
TN 74 N 1296
TN 67 N 0439
TN 74 N 1256

The condition of the above listed buses have been seen as unfit for passengers to travel in with following issues found: Broken ceiling, Driver’s seat and window pane broken, Passenger window pane broken, Electrical wiring all kept open and uncased, unsafe footsteps, broken window pane above the footsteps, lights broken, No medical kits, broken passengers seat, unfit seating for kids and old people, floor of the bus broken at various parts (sometimes one can see the wheels down under), Brake lights not functioning, Registration Number plate broken, Headlights non functional, etc.

It definitely raises security concern for the passengers traveling in it and at the same time poses as serious question as to how such buses ply in such pathetic conditions has been issued Fitness Certificate. One should consider the fact that a major category of the passengers plying in Kanyakumari district are ladies, old people and school children.

Hence, I would propose to review the infrastructure of buses and roads in the district and hence take necessary actions to improve the same by the respective departments.

TNSTC Buses in Kanyakumari district:

Since the day, I have shifted to my hometown after my father’s transfer, who is now a retired Central Govt. employee; I have hardly seen a new bus in the town, at least not any in the vicinity of 10-15 km from my home. The reason, I am referring to new buses is because the condition of more than 70% of old buses is unfit for travel, a majority of which can be tagged as ‘worst’ and posing risk to the life and security of the fellow passengers.

• Please collect and review the Registration number of all buses plying in Kanyakumari district along with its Fitness Certificate.
• Please inquire how buses without Medical emergency kit are issued a Fitness certificate, which is a must by law.
• The percentage of passengers in the category of age group traveling daily on TNSTC buses in Kanyakumari district should be taken into account to increase the frequency of the buses.
• Data should be collected to analyze when the last time has a motor vehicle inspector conducted Fitness check on these vehicles and if conducted comments by the respective motor vehicle inspector to decide the bus as fit for passenger commute.
• We never see new buses being allotted to Kanyakumari district. Please help us enjoy the same facilities in Public transport as seen in other districts.
• Please inquire into the details of the fund being spent for the maintenance of the TNSTC buses in the district, for these buses have not seen maintenance for years now.
• Please inquire into the number of drivers available for the TNSTC buses plying in Kanyakumari district. Are there vacancies for TNSTC drivers in the district? If yes, for how many years?
• The bus routes in Kanyakumari district, which has only one bus per bus route should be reviewed if the single bus in that bus route is really enough. For e.g. Bus route 82A has only one bus which commutes passengers from Marthandam to Kollemcode via Sooricode. A passenger has to wait for the same bus to return back if his destination is on the way traveled by only this bus.

State Highways and Panchayat Roads in Kanyakumari district:

Below link shows one of the many roads in Kanyakumari district that is in ignored condition for years now:

 https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1rwWiDQFpSjflIyY29xd203U2l0S2hLdy1wSEFfZlA1bFFZZUE0aXlOeWw3Wmw1eWxnblk

While we point fingers to the TNSTC buses for their ill maintained buses, the TNSTC point fingers at the Public Works Department [one of the TNSTC officials quoted this as reason] citing the unmaintained roads as reason. As a resident of the district, I will have to agree on the above said, for I have seen the roads hardly being tarred when they go bad.

Sir, as an initiative to repair the roads in my district, I started off with a petition being forwarded to the RTI. Following are the Registration number of the RTI’s filed in respect of the roads not being maintained properly.

MORTH/R/2014/61080 – Filed by me on 27-08-2014

NHAIN/R/2014/80231 – Filed by me on 05-12-2014

1) Highways:

1a) Kaliakkavilai (8.334798, 77.171606) to Nagercoil (8.1700° N, 77.4300° E)

The maintenance of the road is pathetic.
Once known as the ‘Rajapathai’ (Royal route) is now one of the worst maintained highways in Tamilnadu.

An appeal has been filed against the RTI request Reg. no. NHAIN/R/2014/80231 as RTI Appeal Registration Number NHAIN/A/2015/60310

2) Interior roads:

2a) Kaliakkavilai (8.334798, 77.171606) to Nithiravilai Junction (8.273781, 77.143743) via
Konnasery (8.303025, 77.152793)

2b) Kaliakkavilai to Moovottukonam (8.372688, 77.179717)

2c) Chathencode (8.294346, 77.149161) to Kaliakkavilai via Kuzhivila (8.310477, 77.
163393

2d) Manakalai (8.300243, 77.169337) to Padanthalumoodu (8.325467, 77.185087) via
Madichel (8.314172, 77.183714

NOTE – The numbers in bracket are the Google coordinates to identify the place easily.

After filing these two RTI’s, I received updates that the roads would be taken care in a phased manner. But months later, I see that neither the highway (referred as 1a above) has been taken care nor the interior roads have been completed. But I do agree that part of work was being done on the following roads as stated below:

2a –While the actual work is to start from “Nithiravilai” till “Kaliakkavilai”, the work is partially completed in between starting near my home at “Nadaikkave” till the place “Ponappanager”;

2b – No work has been initiated yet.

2c – No work has been initiated yet.

2d – The road is now tarred and completed.

Sir/Madam, these were roads just around my vicinity. But my petition refers to the numerous sub roads and panchayat roads in the district that has not been maintained for years. Hence, may I request a judicial investigation to be in place to check the usage of funds in the district despite such poor conditions? (Or) I seek your mercy for asking something too much being an ordinary citizen.

Further on, I would like to quote the state government website for Kanyakumari district (http://www.kanyakumari.tn.nic.in/roadways.html ) which reads:
“The road network in Kanyakumari district consists of National highways, State highways, District roads and rural roads. The trunk road from Madras to Nagercoil joins the Kanyakumari – Trivandrum road near Aralvoimozhi and passes through important places over a distance of 62.4 Km. and finally enters Kerala State. The road from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum is one of the busiest roads in the country.”

With reference to the above mentioned infrastructure of roads in the district, the common man of Kanyakumari will even now as he had for the past 2 decades, have a sorry state of the roads to describe when asked about the “important” and “busiest” roads. Out of the total roads laid in the district, it is pretty easy to find out the ill maintenance by the concerned administration if one could monitor the sample of data collected on the basis of the width of roads in all regions across the district. We can easily find the data (the width) shrinking at most of the places than the actual defined width for the roads.

Please take into account the total distance of State highways and panchayat roads in Kanyakumari district.

b) A thorough investigation should be ordered into the total fund allotted for the maintenance of roads in the category of following constituencies: Colachel, Kanyakumari, Killiyoor, Nagercoil, Padmanabhapuram, Thiruvattar, and Vilavancode.

c) Has any actions being initiated for all the numerous complaints registered to the District Collector or the State administration (Transport department or Chief Minister’s office) in regards to the repair of the panchayat roads or State highways in the district?

My district receives an average rainfall of 1369.5 mm as per the government data available on the above said website. (http://www.kanyakumari.tn.nic.in/topography.pdf ) With this amount of rainfall and given the number of potholes one can frequently see around, while moving in the district, it raises a serious question if enough care is being taken to make sure that the roads do not get washed away or get surfaced out on the edges.

As a normal citizen of my country I would like to see my place if not flourish, but at least receive the basic infrastructure in place. I am sure; it is due to the massive negligence of the concerned officials on duty that my district faces such ill fate till date. Even though I have no factual evidence to prove it but the time keeper of Kaliakkavilai bus stand (this bus depot borders Tamilnadu and Kerala on NH 47) has once noticed me take photos of such buses. He tried to stop me on the day I was taking photos as I quickly managed to take those photos and walk away. The next time I faced him at the bus depot inquiring of the bus timing to my home “Nadaikkave or Nadaikavu” , I found him lash out at me in a warning tone: “The photos that you took the other day, where are they? Let it come in the newspaper and you will see what happens. You will be going in (literally he means the jail) one day for all that you are doing now. We have taken note of your name, address and your father’s name. The day there is an inquiry happening on this, there will be officials coming down to your house, few vehicles would stop by your house and then you will realise what bug a mistake have you committed. Do you realise the day you were taking these photos who were the officials standing here witnessing you take those photos? Well they have taken note of everything. You don’t understand the happenings inside the transport sector. Do you know that there is a reason behind these buses running in such conditions? There is a big game happening behind the scene, which you can’t imagine of. So, stop all these acts. Nowadays if you guys have a phone or a camera, you think you can capture anything and everything!” He paused when there were few bus drivers and conductors in support of him and one of them backed him saying “Yes, the roads are in pathetic condition at ‘Mangadu’, one cannot drive the buses to that road which is why the buses get damaged more often”. I remained silent throughout realizing that he was not happy with my phone and photos and could cause damage to it.

Having explained you a real life scenario that I had to face due to this, I ask your opinion as where should a normal citizen of the country look to in such scenarios? The law or the POLICE station would be the answer. But how sure am I that I will be protected by the law not tortured when an ordinary TNSTC official could openly threaten me remain my fear.

Sir/Madam, while you review all the work initiated by me (whatever best I could), you can see numerous mail trying to reach the corresponding officials, their senior authorities but all I got was a response from the Regional transport officials with regards to the buses that the request is being forwarded to the TNSTC General Manager and the issue will be taken care in the best interest of the people. Every time, I complain with some pictures of buses, the bus is said to be taken care, after which I see another bus in the same route with the same old damage. Are we the people of the Kanyakumari so “ignored citizens” of the country that no matter whatever complaints are being raised, no matter whatever efforts are being taken, we are always at the receiving end?

All my initiatives towards improving the infrastructure could be seen here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1rwWiDQFpSjZFdYNkd5X0hDQVk

Few people, I tried reaching, but failed to make my words heard to them in our “Digital India” are:

The Honourable President of India (Email - presidentofindia@rb.nic.in )
The Honourable Prime Minister of India (Twitter - @PMOIndia and @narendramodi)
President’s office (Email: secy.president@rb.nic.in, pstopresident@rb.nic.in, usgrievance@rb.nic.in )
Honourable Supreme Court of India – (Email - supremecourt@nic.in )
Honourable Chef Minister of Tamilnadu – (Email - cmcell@tn.gov.in )
Honourable Madras High Court – (cpc-tn@indianjudiciary.gov.in )
Honourable Governor of Tamilnadu – ( governor@tn.nic.in )
The District Collector, Kanyakumari – ( collrkkm@nic.in )
The District Rural Officer, Kanyakumari district – (dro.tnkkm@nic.in )
The MLA, Kanyakumari district (mlavilavancode@tn.gov.in )
The RTO, Marthandam – (rtotn75@tn.nic.in )
The RTO, Nagercoil – (rtotn74@tn.nic.in )

 

I tried even reaching the national media Mr. Sam Daniel (stalin@ndtv.com ) contacted him for help after I got the threat, but he asked for an FIR to which I said it is OK to not have the threat publicised but rather the poor infrastructure get the attention to say the least, he seemed to ignore. I had reached the national media since even after telecasting the issue in local media, the administration seems least bothered. There is a video link in one of the Google drive links given earlier which is titled as “Kanyakumari – the worst maintained district in Tamilnadu”. The video is the media coverage by the local media where the administration is quoted to have promised to have replaced all buses within 3 months and that was in March this year, if I am not wrong. Seeing failure at the local media, I tried reaching the national media time and again over the Twitter (@ndtv, @timesofindia, @htTweets, @TimesNow, @RajdeepSardesai, @PrannoyRoyNDTV, @BDUTT, etc.) but to find my queries get no replies from any of them. Media is a pillar of democracy. It makes me wonder then, “Are citizens in rural place not a part of the same democracy?”

I believe once we find answers to the above questions and thereby take the necessary steps bases on those answers, we will find our Kanyakumari district back on track with good infrastructure in terms of good buses and well maintained roads.

 

Regards,

A PROUD INDIAN &

A citizen of Kanyakumari District