THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSRTC has woken up to the risks faced by its crew after two drivers tested positive for Covid-19 and decided to ensure adequate safety for them. Transport Minister A K Saseendran said a cabin would be installed for the drivers to separate him from passengers.
His response came after a section of the staff from Pappanamcode depot protested against the lack of safety measures. Two drivers, one from Kannur and another from Thiruvananthapuram, who were on duty to ferry passengers to quarantine centres contracted the disease. The separate cabins would come first in the special buses used for transporting people from outside at airports and railway stations.
The minister said the staff were justified in their strike and appealed them to withdraw the protest. The staff complained that the staff room and the buses used by the victim were not disinfected. The minister later gave direction to disinfect the entire premises and provide masks and sanitisers to the staff. KSRTC was also slow to adopt safety measures even when other RTCs operating inter-state services started disinfection when the infectious disease started spreading in March.