Winger passengers peeved over fluctuating fares
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, July 03 2012:
Passengers of Winger service mostly plying between Imphal and Dimapur are not happy the way the travel agencies located at North AOC in Imphal are functioning.
The factor that irritated the most to the passengers has been the regular fluctuation of fares.
Normally the fare between Imphal and Dimapur is charged Rs 500 per passenger but sometimes certain agencies charge Rs 600 for the same.
The variation in the fare rate also often happens on the day of traveling even to the passengers who had booked their tickets the previous day.
This reporter had faced such experiences several times.
To cite one example, a Winger service ticket for Dimapur was booked from a counter at North AOC in Imphal by this reporter sometimes in the middle of June for Rs 500 .
When the reporter came the next day at 5:30 am to board the vehicle, the men in the counter asked for the ticket.
They took it and crossed the price tag and above it wrote Rs 800 saying due to the bandh for the next two days, they had raised the fare.
Their excuse was that the Winger service would be halted for the next two days due to the bandh so it would be a great loss if they did not raise the fare.
The passengers travelling in the Winger van were seen grumbling all the way to Dimapur.
When asked by this reporter to the co-passengers, it was learnt that such dealings of the booking counters at North AOC were not new thing to them.
Another factor that has let down the passengers is the unpunctuality of the service.
Most of the Winger vans do not leave the station on time.