Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Sep 19: Poor advance planning and crew shortages at the Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) Margao depot left interstate passengers stranded during the peak Ganesh Chaturthi rush, with services to Miraj and Kolhapur abruptly cancelled.
Interstate travel demand peaked on the fifth day of the festival, but the depot cancelled scheduled services to the two Maharashtra destinations, citing acute crew absenteeism and staff shortages.
Passengers were reportedly left waiting for hours at the bus stand without timely official communication or alternative arrangements.
“We were not informed about the shortage in staff. The KTC should’ve made alternate arrangements for us,” said passenger M Bhosale.
Another commuter said, “We have no choice but to forgo this ticket and take a private bus back home.”
Sources alleged that the depot management had sufficient advance information to restructure shifts or deploy standby drivers but failed to take timely measures to prevent disruptions or inform passengers.
The situation has also highlighted the gap between recruitment and deployment of newly recruited KTC drivers. Although the corporation has hired fresh drivers to address its long-standing manpower shortage, they have not yet been deployed on active routes as they remain engaged in pending medical examinations and onboarding formalities.
The delay in putting the newly recruited personnel into service further affected operations at a time when passenger traffic was at its peak.
A KTC official at the Margao depot said the disruption was limited to the past two days and attributed it to crew shortages.
“These are long-distance routes, and there have been problems only over the past two days owing to a crew shortage. We cannot ply vehicles if there is not enough staff. However, we are optimistic that conditions will normalise next week onwards,” the official said.
Sources said depot managers are routinely briefed on daily cancellations and crew availability before 10 am, allowing time for operational adjustments.
A KTC official said depots traditionally prevent disruptions during major festivals by strategically assigning duties to crew members who are not celebrating the festival.
“This is a basic contingency measure that Margao depot completely overlooked this year,” the official said.