NT Theatre denounces service of Trishul Blue Hill Bus
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 05 2018:
NT Theatre has condemned the alleged behaviour/attitude shown by the driver and people of Trishul Blue Hill bus towards its passengers.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today, NT Theatre Ningthouja Joyvidya said that 27 artists came on a return journey to Manipur on October 31 aboard the Trishul Blue Hill bus, after taking part in an Inter State Theatre Festival at Hojai, Assam.
The party left Guwahati at around 3 pm and stopped for dinner at Zebra Khor.
At the place, the bus party informed the passengers that there had been a landslide and the bus cannot proceed.
After learning about the situation, the passengers and the bus people began deliberating on the next course of action following which the proposal was made to travel through Jiribam route.
When the bus people were approached, they requested some additional amount as a new route was to be taken and as such the passengers and the bus staff agreed on an additional charge of Rs 400 per passenger.
Then again, the bus people raised some issues claiming that the Jiribam route will be treacherous and as such, the passengers appealed to them to just drop them off at Jiribam.
Joyvidya continued that when the passengers said so, the people of the bus countered that the bus is meant only for Guwahati to Imphal transport and as such it cannot go to Jiribam.
After the passengers questioned why the bus staff were making one excuse after the another, a heated argument took place.
Following the argument, the bus driver contacted other bus drivers over the phone and decided to leave the place abruptly.
Joyvidya continued that during the return trip, the passengers appealed to the bus driver to stop at Dimapur for rest if possible as many women and children were among the passengers.
However, the bus stopped for rest near Dimapur in the wee hours of the morning and the bus driver seemingly disappeared leaving the passengers there, he claimed.
The passengers were at their wit's end as to what do next when it was decided that they will take a winger back to Imphal.
However, they were shocked when the winger driver began charging the artists Rs 1500 per passenger, Joyvidya continued and added mat at that moment, the Headmistress of Langka High School, Assam, Chongtham Chaobiton called up the artists to .check up on them.
Joyvidya said that the passengers narrated the whole ordeal to the Headmistress and after hearing their plight, she told them to come to her residence.
As such, the passengers forced the bus driver to transport them to Dimapur railway station and from there they, went to Chaobiton's house, he said.
Explaining that the Headmistress properly tended to the estranged passengers, he continued that she also made arrangements for some 7/8 people to receive the artists at Jiribam railway station.
Finally, the artists left Jiribam for Imphal on November 2, he added and expressed disappointment at the uncaring and unprofessional attitude shown by the bus" driver towards the passengers.