Stranded passengers showing their tickets-Times of India kolkattaThere was chaos on Circular Garden Reach Road on Tuesday (7th August 2007)evening after Port Blair-bound M V Harshvardhan sailed from the Kidderpore docks without nearly 200 bona fide passengers.The stranded passengers blocked the road before demonstrating outside South Port p0lice station. Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) officers,however, claimed the passengers
were to blame for the imbroglio.Trouble broke out soon after 1.30pm,when the last of the passengers were still arriving.Even before they could complete formalities, they saw the ship depart. The passengers rushed to the lockgate where the ship waits for some time before entering the Hooghly.They were not allowed to enter the premises by Central Industrial Security Force personnel on duty. Passengers were furious when they saw truckloads of soldiers boarding the ship from the lockgate. Rumours began to do the rounds that bona fide passengers
had been leftbehind to accommodate soldiers."This is incorrect. While issuing tickets, we tell passengers to check newspapers (of the day before the voyage)for the exact time of departure.
This has to be done as we don't know the tide timings when tickets are issued.We published the sailing schedule in two English and Bengali dailies on Monday.Passengers were supposed to report by 12 noon on Tuesday as the ship was to leave berth at 2 pm. Though only 280 of the 800 passengers had boarded the ship till 2pm, we had no option but to set out," an SCI officer explained. About 400 bunks in the ship were booked for soldiers. Instead of boarding the vessel at Kidderporedocks,they climbed aboard at the lockgate. "There is no way the CISF can prevent soldiers in uniform to enter the premises.They can enter'and board the ship if they have valid passes. However,due to the ISPS code, civilians cannot be allowed to enter the lockgate without permission.The ship left the lock gate at 5 pm as per schedule and will anchor at Garden
Reachtill 4amon Wednesday," the officeradded. .After stranded passengers lodged complaints with the police, the latter tried to contact SCI. Kolkata Port Trust even offered the services of its launches to ferry the stranded passengers to the ship anchored at Garden Reach. SCI officers were not ready to comply.
This is a news report from Times of India-Kolkatta
Now my comments: 1.If the SCI doesn't know the Tide timings then how it functions?
2.More than this, passengers has to face Union problems often.
were to blame for the imbroglio.Trouble broke out soon after 1.30pm,when the last of the passengers were still arriving.Even before they could complete formalities, they saw the ship depart. The passengers rushed to the lockgate where the ship waits for some time before entering the Hooghly.They were not allowed to enter the premises by Central Industrial Security Force personnel on duty. Passengers were furious when they saw truckloads of soldiers boarding the ship from the lockgate. Rumours began to do the rounds that bona fide passengers
had been leftbehind to accommodate soldiers."This is incorrect. While issuing tickets, we tell passengers to check newspapers (of the day before the voyage)for the exact time of departure.
This has to be done as we don't know the tide timings when tickets are issued.We published the sailing schedule in two English and Bengali dailies on Monday.Passengers were supposed to report by 12 noon on Tuesday as the ship was to leave berth at 2 pm. Though only 280 of the 800 passengers had boarded the ship till 2pm, we had no option but to set out," an SCI officer explained. About 400 bunks in the ship were booked for soldiers. Instead of boarding the vessel at Kidderporedocks,they climbed aboard at the lockgate. "There is no way the CISF can prevent soldiers in uniform to enter the premises.They can enter'and board the ship if they have valid passes. However,due to the ISPS code, civilians cannot be allowed to enter the lockgate without permission.The ship left the lock gate at 5 pm as per schedule and will anchor at Garden
Reachtill 4amon Wednesday," the officeradded. .After stranded passengers lodged complaints with the police, the latter tried to contact SCI. Kolkata Port Trust even offered the services of its launches to ferry the stranded passengers to the ship anchored at Garden Reach. SCI officers were not ready to comply.
This is a news report from Times of India-Kolkatta
Now my comments: 1.If the SCI doesn't know the Tide timings then how it functions?
2.More than this, passengers has to face Union problems often.
