BHUBANESWAR : The Odisha government has planned to include psychometric test to the five-day refresher course for Ama Bus drivers at the four institutes of driving training and research (IDTRs) located in Chhatia (Jajpur), Berhampur (Ganjam), Keonjhar and Bonai (Sundargarh).
As per the standard operating procedure (SOP) of Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), Ama Bus drivers were earlier sent to IDTRs for a three-day refresher course, which has now been increased to five days.
“Before induction, the drivers produce a certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner. They then undergo a medical test during the evaluation/refresher course at IDTRs. The existing and new drivers will now have to take a psychometric test too,” said a senior CRUT official.
A psychometric test is a standardised, scientific tool used by employers to measure an individual’s cognitive abilities (aptitude) and behavioural traits (personality) to assess their suitability for a job, predicting performance through numerical/situational judgement tests as well as personality questionnaires.
There are over 1,200 Ama Bus drivers in the state. They will all undergo the five-day refresher course, including psychometric test, in a phasewise manner in the coming months.
The state government has been drawing flak over frequent mishaps and loss of lives involving Ama Buses across the state. On Saturday, an Ama Bus ran over and auto-rickshaw at Rupali Square in the city, resulting in death of the auto driver and injuries to two passengers.
In the face of severe outrage, Transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur on Monday travelled in an Ama Bus from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack to take stock of the situation, and also interacted with the passengers.