BENGALURU: Following the death of BMTC conductor Muthaiah, who was charred while asleep in a bus that caught fire, transport unions have slammed the bus corporation and alleged that it never bothered to provide resting facilities. Further, they alleged that as per oral instructions from superiors at the transport corporation, both the driver and conductor must sleep only in the bus, or they would be charge-sheeted.
Even if there is a resting facility nearby, the driver and conductor must sleep on the bus, they alleged.
“During the inspection, if BMTC superiors find out that the driver and conductor are not on the bus at night, they file a chargesheet against them and slap fines as per their whims and fancies,” said Anand, joint secretary, Karnataka Rajya Raste Sarige Naukarara Okkutta.
He said that drivers and conductors are held solely responsible for safety when they take the bus from the depot after signing the duty chart.
“Any theft of diesel, batteries and other parts of the bus falls on the employees’ heads. Superiors suspend and can even dismiss employees for these reasons,” Anand alleged. It is the duty of BMTC to provide a safe parking spot along with resting facilities for employees, while allotting routes, he said.
A BMTC driver, requesting anonymity, said, “There is no rule on where the bus has to be parked on night-out duty. We have to find a safe place and park it, and sleep in it without any basic facilities. In many places, there is no facility even to attend nature’s calls.”
Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, a commuters’ rights forum, wrote to Transport Minister B Sriramulu and principal secretary of the transport department NV Prasad, questioning whether there is a rule that mandates employees to sleep on the bus to safeguard it. It demanded an inquiry into their working conditions.
BMTC MD Sathyavathi was not available for comment. However, a statement from BMTC maintained that a survey of resting spots would be taken up and suitable action taken to avoid any such mishaps in future.