JOIN USThe training imparted to Volvo bus drivers in private companies has come under scanner following the gory accident involving the Volvo bus belonging to Jabbar Travels which saw 45 people charred to death.
An official from Volvo said that, “it is a rule that drivers for Volvo bus whether private or government will have to undergo compulsory training and get certified from the company that the driver is fit to pilot the bus. We have details of driver displayed on Volvo’s official website.”
Asif, a driver with 10 years experience, said, “whenever a driver is being appointed by the company, they ask for valid heavy passenger vehicle (HPV) license. The driver should also get a letter from his previous company. The employer will check the credentials with the previous company and then send him to Volvo for five-day training.”
The Volvo official said “before enrolling the drivers we put them through a health check up which includes testing for blood pressure, sugar level, eye sight et al to make sure the driver does not suffer from serious ailments.
It is only after clearing the health check up he will be allowed to take up the training.” “We not only check the driving skills but also train them on various skills like sense of responsibility, motivation, fuel efficient driving, traffic safety and to be goodwill ambassador on road.”
Another driver said, “driving a Volvo bus requires special training because the dynamics of the bus is different unlike other buses. The driver should be aware of all technicalities involved in the bus and be able to judge the distance while driving because the length of the bus is long.”
Sources said the driver involved in accident was a trained driver but was not trained to rescue passengers. A travel agent said drivers of Volvo bus will have to undergone intense training session but the question is are they trained in handling situations when they are involved in accidents or are they aware on how to save the passengers.”
Not all companies are particular about training their bus drivers receive. Shankar, who has been driving Volvo bus last three years, says he has never received any training. His only skill before was driving lorries and trucks.
Teams return
The Volvo teams which were sent to the accident spot have come back after finishing their preliminary investigations. However, officials maintain that the investigations are not yet complete and if need be, the teams may be sent again.
Volvo Buses India Head of Marketing Sohanjeet Randhawa said “Our teams are dwelling on information they gathered from the accident site. If need be they will go again”. Randhawa, however said an in-depth investigation required samples that needed to be tested at laboratories.
“But since this is a police investigation, we cannot pick up anything and all that would have to be done by the police. We will sharing our inputs with the investigating agencies to find out the exact reasons that could have led to such a tragedy,” he said.