Hyderabad: TSRTC bus drivers began a flash strike on Sunday night, which went into the early hours of Monday, protesting the alleged incidents of public anger being vented out on bus drivers. In the latest incident, an RTC driver was assaulted by a bike rider the latter accused the bus driver of rash driving.
“In this case, it was the fault of the biker. Our drivers are at the receiving end for not only their own faults, but also because of poorly maintained buses. Often, the drivers complain of being given faulty buses, and they end up with issues on the road. Drivers have to resort to strikes when the management doesn’t protect them,” said Akbar, president of the Borabanda RTC Drivers' Association.
RTC officials, meanwhile, say that unions use strikes as a means to apply pressure on the management. A senior official from RTC, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The unions always tend to use strike as a pressure tactic. Now they want the management to protect them from problems caused by them.”
Despite complaints by RTC drivers, many believe the drivers themselves are to blame for the widespread public disapproval.
“In the morning, I saw an RTC bus (registration number TS 90CF 7606) making sudden left and right lane shifts. I did not take a video. But it would have shown how dangerously close the vehicle was to motorists,” said Venkatesh Rao, a commuter.
RTC drivers have been at the receiving end of public outrage with at least six cases of assault in the recent past, in which drivers were hurt in altercations.
However, the RTC is the single biggest killer on our roads and despite the alarming numbers, drivers are still resorting to dangerous driving. In fact, data provided by the traffic police shows that RTC buses have been responsible for nearly 300 accidents in the twin cities and on the outskirts over the past year. In almost all the cases, rash driving was believed to be the reason.
The buses have also caused injuries to passengers getting on and off as many drivers simply refuse to bring the vehicle to a complete halt at designated stops.
“I have witnessed this near Paradise and Jubilee Bus stops. Also, when they spot a single passenger hailing the vehicle, the drivers do not stop, even at the bus bay. Instead, they just slow down, expecting the lone passenger to board the bus while it's still moving,” said another commuter Poojitha B. RTC officials tried several methods to deal with habitual offenders, even trying ‘emotional tracing’ of the drivers but the situation has remained the same.
The number of drivers sent for driving lessons and the number being turned out of work are exactly the same as they were before implementation of new tactics, over one-and-a-half years ago.
