Many hurdles in truckers’ lives

One in 10 killed in road crashes in 2018 was a truck driver. With little help, the community lives a dangerous life

India lost about 10 lakh people to road accidents in the last decade. Over 1.5 lakh lives were lost in 2018 alone. Of them, 15,150 were truck drivers—with a 10 per cent share in the total road crash fatalities. India has the world’s worst road safety record.

A study commissioned by SaveLife Foundation, titled ‘Status of Truck Drivers in India’, has revealed such startling facts.

Sleepy drives

Drivers surveyed, on average, drove for 12 hours a day, even if they felt fatigued or sleepy. The study found 52.5 per cent of respondents in Bengaluru saying they continue to drive even when they are sleepy and fatigued, compared to 49 per cent of respondents nationwide.

Rajat Ubhaykar, author of the book ‘Truck De India: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hindustan’, says sleep deprivation is one of the most important reasons why there are so many more accidents.

“During my travels, I saw that the driver would only sleep when he caught himself napping at the wheel,” he says.

He adds that the hours they maintain are highly irregular. Usually, they drive on after as little as two to three hours of sleep.

Substance abuse

Truck drivers suffer from backache, joint and muscle pain, headaches, dizziness, poor eyesight and hypertension. In Bengaluru, almost 82 per cent of those surveyed had backaches while 65 per cent suffered from headaches and dizziness. One in five respondents admitted to substance abuse during trips.

Rajat says in Punjab and Rajasthan, some truckers are addicted to opium. “Throughout the country, truckers have a penchant for chewing tobacco,” he says, adding that most truckers stay away from substances that can impair hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

Forced to bribe

Exploitation and corruption by enforcement authorities clubbed with bad roads makes truck driving a difficult profession.

A good 53 per cent of the respondents in Bengaluru admitted to paying bribes to traffic and highway police (the national average was 67 per cent). The average bribe paid to police nationwide is Rs 849 per round trip.

Among the transport hubs, Guwahati fared the worst, with 97.5 per cent drivers claiming they had paid bribes. This was followed by Chennai (89 per cent) and Delhi (84.4 per cent).

While the majority of truck drivers felt unsafe on roads, some admitted to flouting rules themselves. For example, about 49 per cent caught with protruding loads admitted to paying bribes to drive on.

Rs 12,000 bribe per trip

GR Shanmukhappa, General Secretary (South Zone) of South India Motor Transport Association (SIMTA) and President of Karnataka State Lorry Association, says truck drivers pay a bribe of Rs 12,000 for a journey (two-way) from Bengaluru to Mumbai.

“With the exception of Gujarat and Kerala, all other states in the country have recorded incidents of bribe-taking by the RTOs (Regional Transport Office/Road Transport Office). A person from the RTO department, called ‘brake inspector’, is present every 50 km on most highways to stop lorries and collect bribes,” he says.

Most corrupt states

Truck drivers and associations have to pay the highest bribes in UP, MP and Orissa, Shanmukhappa says. There are more than 50 lakh trucks in the country and one lorry pays about Rs 60,000-70,000 in bribes a year, he says.

“Even when all documents — such as national permit, licence, RC book, insurance and emission test — are intact, officials still demand bribe. From top ministers to lower officials in the RTO, such as superintendents and clerks, everyone demands bribes,” he rues.

Shanmukhappa says in Bengaluru, the bribe menace has continued under both the Congress and BJP governments. “In one day, the RTO collects almost Rs 2 crore in bribes in Karnataka,” he says.

‘Officially, Rs 7,000 crore is the total tax collected by the RTO from trucks each year. Though we are among the highest tax payers in the country, we receive no benefits from the government. There are no proper facilities for drivers to rest, eat, or sleep during their long journeys,” he says.

He also points out that there is no check on mistakes committed by truck drivers, such as rash or drunken driving, which is actually punishable by law. “We have lodged complaints and sent letters to all the RTOs in the country but have not received any response,” he says.

Bribes Rs 47,852 cr a year

About Rs 47,852.28 crore is paid a year in bribes by the trucking business.

Save Life Foundation, which came up with this estimate, is a non-profit, non-government organisation.

A study conducted by the foundation revealed that 53 per cent of drivers were dissatisfied with their profession because of low and irregular income, harassment from officials and unscheduled working hours.

The nation-wide, multi-city research report, conducted in partnership with Mahindra and Mahindra, covered about 1,200 truck drivers and over 100 fleet owners as respondents.

It was conducted across 10 hubs– Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Kanpur and Vijayawada. In Bengaluru, the foundation spoke to 120 truck drivers and 10 fleet owners.

‘Truck drivers are vulnerable’

Piyush Tewari, CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation, says “Despite truck drivers forming the backbone of the logistics sector, they remain extremely vulnerable due to chronic neglect, unfair labour practices and lack of dignity. Through this study, we have empirically documented the challenging conditions in which they operate and how that is contributing to the deteriorating road safety in India. Unless urgent action is taken, we are staring at a worsening road safety situation and an increasing shortage of drivers.”