I have been noticing through days and days that certain ?private-bus conductors? do extremely lack courtesy towards their passengers. People who do take those private bus in the region of Port-Louis must surely be aware of those typical scenes. By observing them, I often have the impression that those ill-mannered conductors do behave as if they were some kind of creditors who are venting their anger upon debtors who never pay back their debts! But I must say that neither they are any kind of creditor nor do the public owe them any sort of debt! If they are in the service sector, they must learn what ?customer care? is!

Few days back, I was at the Victoria Bus Station and I witnessed some disgusting and at the same time, sorrowing scenes. Some passengers who usually travels on another line, entered one of those private bus due their bus break down. But the bus conductors really misbehaved with them. They told those passengers that there was no need for them to get into that bus and that they should go by their usual bus only. There were swear-words in each and every single sentence of their?s. They were looking at each and every woman whether it was a school-girl, a young lady or even the elderly ones and throwing vulgar comments upon them. If this is the way they are behaving, if they can not respect the passengers; then I think that it?s hard time for them to find another job.

I have also noticed that those private bus do wait for too long at the Venus bus-stop. For more than 15 minutes at times. When the passengers do contest or get down from the bus as they are probably getting late and can not wait for those ?jungle kings? to decide when to go; the latter do bawl out at those passengers. Let us remind them that the ?Venus bus stop? is not a bus-station!

Not to mention of course, how the ?private-bus conductors? do misbehave and shriek without any respect at the elderly people. Some times, they do not even stop when an old person wants to get into their bus. Perhaps they are forgetting that they are also going to be old someday and that the same treatment can be reserved for them too! After all, history do repeat itself and that they will reap whatever they have sown!

I?m not saying that all ?private-bus conductors? are like that but those who do fall in this category of discourteous ones; they must really change their attitudes. Instead of misbehaving with passengers,they must learn about courtesy and customer care. They must be thankful to the latter as it is attributable to them that they are earning their daily bread! And if they can not respect the passengers; then they may better change their profession!

Bilkiss