KSRTC staff on state tour to educate on work-life balance, safety

A street play, which was created as part of road safety week, has turned into a full-fledged programme, with a team of 25 Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees embarking on a state tour, enacting street plays to educate on work-life balance among workers and also about the importance of passenger safety.

Speaking to DH, S P Nagaraj, Divisional Controller (City), said that the 25-member team comprises four women, including drivers, conductors and technicians, interested in theatre from across the state.

He said, "The members are actively involved in the play 'Baduki-Badukisi', which is an extension of Road Safety awareness programme, under the banner of KSRTC Samskruthika Kalakutira. They enact plays at KSRTC depots across the state on traffic awareness, safety measures and facilities offered by KSRTC."

"They will be on official duty till the tour is completed. The team, which performed at a couple of depots on Monday, enacted a play at Sathagalli Bus Depot on Tuesday morning. Students from nearby schools attended the programme. They will conduct street plays at depots in Mysuru city and rural for the next two days," he further added.

T M Balakrishna, honorary director of KSRTC Samskruthika Kalakutira, who is in-charge of the programme, said that the play, with a bus as a set property, complete with musical instruments, was presented before the KSRTC Managing Director C Shivayogi.

"Impressed by the idea, the MD issued orders not to limit it to Bengaluru and to continue it at all main depots across the state. The team which started the tour a month ago, has so far covered Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagar, and Mysuru. It will tour Chamarajanagar, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davangere, Shivamogga and other places and is expected to complete the tour in three months," he said.

Work-life balance

The objective of the programme is to create awareness on work-life balance of KSRTC workers, to give messages on good food and rest. The drivers trust the technicians on the fitness of the vehicle. Similarly, the conductor plays an important role in keeping the driver engaged in conversations during long trips. The number of accidents are more due to stress level of employees. The plays educate the workers to keep away stress, while on duty, as they are responsible for the safety of hundreds of lives, Balakrishna said.

Public service

The street plays also stress on passenger-friendly attitude of the employees. The people are explained that KSRTC, police, military and hospitals are no profit organisations and are for public service. It is explained that Re 1 from each ticket is collected towards accident compensation, which is disbursed immediately in case of any mishap involving a KSRTC bus, he said.