Surat, 22 June – In response to growing complaints of irregularities across more than 850 city and BRTS buses operated by Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), Transport Committee Chairman Somnath Marathe has taken direct charge by launching on-site inspections.
Marathe began checking buses personally, targeting issues such as passengers travelling without tickets, conductors accepting fares but not issuing tickets, and drivers misbehaving with commuters. As a result of the ongoing campaign, the city bus system has recorded a notable daily revenue increase of approximately ₹1.5 lakh, indicating that significant revenue losses were previously occurring due to malpractice.
Prior to this intensified action, SMC’s vigilance and ticket checking teams had already caught six conductors engaging in misconduct. During Marathe’s personal inspections, three conductors were suspended and another three were blacklisted. The surge in daily earnings since the ticket checks began reflects the positive financial impact of these enforcement measures.
As per agency report, Marathe stated that the campaign is being implemented as a continuous mission, not just through decisions made from an office. Instead, he and his team are visiting various bus stands across the city, observing passenger experiences firsthand and taking action accordingly. He affirmed that strict penalties are being imposed on conductors failing to issue tickets and drivers whose behavior is found to be inappropriate. Fines are also being collected from passengers found travelling without valid tickets.
The chairman also highlighted that while city bus revenue has seen an increase of ₹1.5 lakh per day in just the past week, data for BRTS revenue growth is still being compiled. However, he confirmed that the immediate and decisive actions have clearly contributed to rising revenue for the corporation.
Appealing to the public, Marathe urged both conductors and drivers to maintain proper conduct and requested commuters to ensure they travel only with valid tickets. He also encouraged citizens to support the initiative by reporting misconduct, saying that videos of conductors taking money but not issuing tickets should be submitted for investigation. He stressed that public cooperation is essential for the continued progress and development of Surat’s transport system.
