BMTC staffers suspended for overcrowding
BENGALURU: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees and members of the workers’ federation have written to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to lift the suspension order against a BMTC conductor and driver.
Both employees were suspended on September 15 for violating social distancing norms amid the pandemic.
D A Vijay Bhaskar, general secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), told TNIE, “There are no specific guidelines from the State or Centre on how conductors and drivers should manage crowding. In this particular case, the bus was on its last trip for the day.
Hence, several commuters rushed to get on that bus. It’s difficult for a conductor alone to manage such crowds.” This is the second such incident. The corporation had earlier suspended a driver and conductor for ferrying more passengers than seating capacity, on May 19.
The incident came to light after a video shot by a commuter was posted on social media. The union has requested the corporation not take stringent action against the conductor Mangala Gowramma, who has worked with BMTC for 17 years. Instead, a fine and warning would suffice as punishment. The corporation is yet to respond to the letter.