Mangaluru: After 34 years of service with the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), veteran driver Joseph Machado retired on Saturday.Machado,60, joined KSRTC in 1992 after working in local transport services, and called his time with the state-run corporation as the most fulfilling phase of his professional life. Bus fans and well-wishers gathered on Friday afternoon to greet him on his final trip from Mumbai to Mangaluru.Recalling his career, Machado said he began at the Kundapura depot, operating the Kundapura-Bengaluru Sarige service, before moving to Rajahamsa buses. He later drove the Kollur-Chennai Rajahamsa service, which was upgraded to a Volvo bus in 2005. He worked on the route for around 12 years, before being transferred to Mangaluru’s second depot in 2008. There he served on the Mangaluru-Chennai route, before opting for the Mangaluru-Mumbai Airavat Club Class service. He also briefly operated the Mangaluru-Pune Ambari Utsav service before returning to the Mumbai route.Speaking about Friday’s journey, Machado said he felt emotional knowing he would no longer report for duty. “Passengers often appreciated that we reached on time, and that always felt rewarding,” he said.He fondly recalled being assigned a Volvo bus for the first time, and thanked KSRTC officials and staff for their support throughout his career. “What makes me happiest is seeing a bus full of passengers,” he added. Machado earned a reputation for punctuality, particularly during the last six years on the Mangaluru-Mumbai route. Regular passengers travelling between Mumbai and coastal Karnataka often recognised and trusted him for timely journeys.His colleague Clifford D’Souza, who worked with him on the route for the past six to seven years, said passengers had great confidence in the duo. “He was very helpful. We were like brothers and understood each other well,” D’Souza said.Bus fan Ashik, popularly known as Ash2Travel, said many passengers chose the service because of Machado and D’Souza’s punctuality, professionalism and welcoming nature. Ashik also stressed that bus drivers deserve recognition for their work. “They drive long distances under stressful conditions, carry the responsibility of passengers’ safety and still ensure they reach their destination on time,” he said.
