The drivers union of KSRTC has organized a protest in Ernakulam depot by demanding the post of Driver cum Conductors in long distance bus services of the corporation. TDF Drivers Union Secretary M.S Boban lead the protest.
The blatant violation of norms by the KSRTC comes when Volvo India mandates that two drivers should be appointed in such buses for the safety of the passengers so that when a driver gets tired, the other one can take over. “The distance between Ernakulam and Bangalore is 550 kms. As per norms of the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD), a driver should be allowed behind the wheels only for eight hours with two hours of rest before the next service begins. In case of the Ernakulam-Bangalore Volvo, the driver is over burdened, he said.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation which has the largest fleet of Volvo buses in the country has appointed two drivers for every inter-state service. Most of these drivers are driver-cum-conductors. According to A S Boban, KSRTC Drivers Union State organising secretary, though the High Court had issued an order to the KSRTC to appoint driver-cum-conductors in inter-state services operating from Kerala, it has not been implemented by the latter. If a driver-cum-conductor is appointed, the person can function as a spare driver as well as a conductor,” he said.
