KH ROAD:Drivers working for the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are sick and tired of driving inside the city. Not only is the traffic dreadful, but they are also unable to stick to the schedule drawn up by their bosses.
A driver at the Shanthinagar depot told City Express, “I work in the general shift and my bus is parked on the outskirts of the city. So to meet the schedule, I leave home by 7 am and reach back by midnight.”
BMTC has a trip sheet for each bus, filled in by the conductor. It is called Form IV and tracks the details of every trip, including at what time the bus reached the various stops. The crew must meet the schedule or risk losing their allowance, said a driver. “With the rising numbers of vehicles and the constant jams, it is difficult to stick to the timings.”
Another driver said, “We are stressed out. People have the impression that BMTC vehicles are killers. Even a minor accident is enough for the public to enter the bus and thrash us.”
A BMTC official admitted such transfer applications were common. “But we don’t encourage them. When the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) was divided into different corporations in 1997, the BMTC became independent. During recruitment, we make it clear that they cannot be transferred.”
Only BMTC employees above the post of supervisor are eligible for inter-corporation transfers.
“As far as health is concerned, we conduct regular check-up camps,” the official said. He also claimed schedules were drawn up with the traffic density in mind.
A driver at the Shivajinagar depot dismissed this claim. “We are asked to operate at the same speed throughout the day, but the traffic is not the same,” he said.