The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has implemented a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent ticketless travel and irregularities in ticket issuance on its buses.
Under this SOP, the following measures have been taken:
- Strict disciplinary action will be taken against regular and contract-based operators for not issuing tickets, issuing tickets for lower amounts, reissuing tickets, incorrect punching, and other discrepancies.
- In serious cases, charge sheets, suspensions, and departmental inquiries will be initiated against regular employees under CCS (CCA) rules.
- For contract operators, there is a provision for termination of service after an investigation.
- Stricter action will be taken against operators who repeatedly engage in ticketless travel.
The SOP instructs operators to issue valid tickets to each passenger according to the prescribed fare. If there is any doubt regarding a child’s age, a provision has been included in the SOP to issue a higher-priced ticket, keeping the corporation’s revenue interests in mind.
Under the new provisions, action will be determined based on the fare amount, the number of passengers on the bus, and the operator’s previous service record.