As 57-year-old Azeem takes his seat behind the wheels, he is also ready for a long day. He has to reach Kempegowda Bus Station, which is located at a distance of 13 km from Chikkalasandra Bus Stand, in a mere 45 minutes. This includes a minimum of 90 seconds at each signal and the time he spends at each stop, letting passengers get down and board the bus.
There are about 18 traffic signals on this route. While covering this distance, Azeem has to navigate through narrow lanes, take control of the bus on pothole-filled roads, overtake if he is getting late and ensure that there are no accidents. Apart from balancing this, he also has the responsibility of taking all his passengers safely to their destination.
This plight is not of Azeem alone. Thousands of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) drivers step out for a battle every time they steer the wheels.
A concerned Azeem explains, “Depending on the route, drivers will be told how many trips they need to complete in a day. On this route, I have to complete three trips, which is six singles. Going from the source point to the destination is called a single. Every detail of the trip is filled in Form IV. No matter how busy the roads are, we have to reach the destination point within the said time.”
A Form IV is a duty sheet which contains details of the distance of the route and time to be taken to reach the destination, among other details.
It also includes details of work hours with time allotted for lunch and coffee-breaks. However, the Form IV has not been updated for more than 10 years, asserts Ambika, a conductor.
She says, “Maybe it was possible to cover 13 km in 45 minutes 10 years ago but not now. If we don’t reach the place in time, we are sent memos.”
While she rues about the lack of facilities, the number 7,000 glares from the sheet in the hands of Ambika. When quizzed, she says, “Every day, we are given a target for fare collection. This is the amount that has to be collected today. While there are already so many buses at a time when there is no need, we have to make the said amount. If not, we get another memo.”
Many problems of BMTC employees surround these memos. Memos are warnings issued to workers with regard to their work performance. Their hikes, promotions and confirmation of job depends on this memo.
T Ramakrishna, a traffic controller, who recently got a promotion after 32 years and two months of service, says, “An employee joins for a salary of Rs 6,500 per month and is on a probation for two years. If there are any memos issued or if an employee is suspended during this time, the probation period is extended.”
These workers, especially the drivers, have a lot of health complaints too. Driving long hours and working overtime when the need arises is taking a toll on their health.
Nagaraju, another driver, says, “At the end of everyday, I go back home suffering from body ache, especially pain in the legs. Apart from this, since we are exposed to pollution for such a long stretch, we have continuous cough and breathing problems.”
He adds, “But we do not have any facilities for healthcare. There are hospitals and we do get concession for surgeries but who cares about our everyday health issues?”
The BMTC, on the other hand, says that they have updated the Form IV recently.
However, this seems to be of no help since it has raised the timings only by a few minutes in some areas.
According to Veeregowda, general manager (traffic), the BMTC takes stringent measures only when drivers cancel trips.
“When running late for the next trip, some drivers cancel it, which leads to loss of revenue. We do understand that in some areas, they may not be able to cover a distance within the time mentioned in Form IV. But what can we do? We have to depend on these drivers only to generate revenue. When they do not achieve the target, the profit is at stake.”