LUCKNOW, June 30 -- Nearly a month after conductors attached to Lucknow City Transport Services Limited (LCTSL) went on strike, the city's bus operations continue to function with a severely depleted workforce, forcing several buses to operate without conductors and leading to a sharp fall in daily revenue. Of the 300 conductors sanctioned for operating the city's 115-bus fleet, only around 70 are currently on duty. The shortage has disrupted routine ticketing and passenger checks, with senior transport officials admitting that some buses are operating without conductors. Regional manager, UPSRTC, Vimal Rajan said that although the conductors' demands have already been accepted, many have still not resumed duty. A senior UPSRTC official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that several city buses are indeed plying without conductors. According to officials, in such cases drivers are allegedly collecting fares directly from passengers, often charging less than the prescribed fare while not issuing tickets. This money is going straight into their pockets. The practice, officials say, is resulting in significant daily revenue losses for the transport department, as ticketless travel goes unchecked and fare collection remains outside the official accounting system. Official figures indicate a steady decline in revenue collection over the past month. While city buses generated Rs 2.14 lakh on April 20 and Rs 2.31 lakh on May 20, collections dropped to Rs 1.40 lakh on June 22 and further plummeted to just Rs 64,673 on June 28. Officials said that without onboard staff to issue tickets and monitor fare collection, there has been drastic fall in revenue. The crisis has also been compounded by an administrative decision taken on June 25, when 177 conductors associated with city bus services were transferred to UPSRTC's inter-district bus operations. The move has further reduced the availability of conductors for Lucknow's urban transport network. To address the manpower shortage, the transport department is set to engage conductors through a third-party agency instead of hiring them directly. However, there is no clarity on when the tender process will begin or how long the recruitment will take. Until then, the shortage of conductors is likely to continue, potentially affecting city bus operations....