Displaying immense courage and presence of mind in the face of a tense situation and attack, a government bus driver and conductor saved the lives of many passengers. For this exemplary act of rescuing passengers unharmed from miscreants pelting stones during a violent situation created in Shillong city, the Urban Affairs Department on Friday specially felicitated Fullmoonwell Lyngdoh, driver, and Banmanbha Marwein, conductor of the electric bus named ‘Ka Bus Jong Ngi’ (ML 05 AH 5045). The department formally recognized both employees and awarded them a cash prize of Rs 10,000 each.
It may be mentioned that on the evening of August 19 at around 6 pm, while the bus was carrying passengers from Air Force to IIM, it encountered a KSU black flag bike rally in the Wahkdait area. At that time, some miscreants suddenly started pelting stones at the bus indiscriminately, shattering the front windshield and putting the lives of the passengers at risk. In such a terrifying moment, instead of panicking, conductor Marwein immediately instructed the passengers to duck down and cover their heads, and driver Lyngdoh patiently drove the bus from the dangerous spot to a safe location. As a result, not a single passenger on board was injured.
Praising both employees, Urban Affairs Department Secretary Wanrilin A M Booth said, “When the dangerous situation arose, they did not think about their own safety and thought first about saving the lives of the passengers. The instruction given to the passengers to take shelter and the determination to rescue everyone safely reflects the true sense of duty of public transport service.” She also made it clear that such violent acts on public transport are not acceptable under any circumstances and that the government stands firmly with the transport workers.
Deputy Secretary of the Department Saloni Verma, MUDA Secretary Sainpiniar S Chyiemlih and Urban Affairs Department Director P K Boro were present at the function and encouraged the two workers. It has been suggested to provide special training to bus drivers and conductors in collaboration with the State Disaster Management Authority to deal with such emergency situations in the future.
Recalling the incident, driver Lyngdoh and conductor Marwein said that even after the glass was shattered by the stone pelting, they kept their minds calm and did not shirk their duty until the passengers were safely deboarded.