Panaji: Safety standards within Smart City electric bus service operated by the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTC) have come under heavy public scrutiny after TOI reported on the viral video showing a driver operating a vehicle while simultaneously handling a point-of-sale (POS) ticketing machine. KTC chairperson Ulhas Tuyekar on Wednesday acknowledged the driver’s actions as a serious infraction and called for disciplinary action against him.“The bus drivers who take tickets while driving are wrong. The protocol dictates that the bus must remain stationary while passengers buy tickets. Only after all tickets are issued should the bus start moving,” he said.The EVs were pitched as a modern, conductorless travel service wherein drivers are expected to issue tickets via POS terminals only while the vehicle is stationary at designated stops before resuming the journey. However, the video filmed by passengers on boardshows the driver attempting to issue electronic tickets to passengers while navigating traffic, leading to immediate confrontation from passengers and the Goa consumer action network over commuter safety.Tuyekar said that the driver involved in the incident is not a direct employee of KTC. “The EV fleet is operated under a third-party contract, with the vehicle and driver provided by a private vendor. KTC has initiated communication with the vendor to demand strict disciplinary action against the driver,” he said.
