KSRTC’s double duty turns deadly as over 1,000 posts remain vacant

KOZHIKODE: The death of two KSRTC employees in a bus accident in Karnataka has raised fresh concerns over the practice of assigning additional duties to drivers and the shortage of staff in the state transport corporation.

Driver Mithilesh and conductor Arun were killed after the Kozhikode-Bengaluru Super Deluxe bus lost control and overturned after hitting a road sign pole at Bidadi around 6.30 am on Saturday. A preliminary assessment suggests that Mithilesh may have fallen asleep while driving after working continuously.

Mithilesh, a temporary driver from Vellayil Kunnathuthazham, had returned to the Kozhikode depot early Friday morning after completing a Mysuru service. He reported for duty again that night for the Bengaluru service. Employees are paid Rs 1,820 for an additional double duty.

Under KSRTC rules, an employee who completes a 16-hour double duty should get the following day off. But when there is no replacement and a service is likely to be cancelled, employees who have already completed double duty are assigned another shift. The practice has raised concerns over driver fatigue and passenger safety. Instead of filling vacancies, KSRTC continues to depend heavily on temporary employees and existing staff to run services. There are more than 1,000 vacancies in the driver and conductor categories.

Although the new government’s Transport Minister had announced that the vacancies would be reported to the Public Service Commission, the shortage continues. Appointments under the compassionate employment scheme are also yet to take place.

Driver-cum-conductor system yet to take off

KSRTC rules state that long-distance services should have driver-cum-conductors. Since passengers reserve their seats online, conductors have relatively little work during such journeys. Having two employees who can take turns driving could help reduce fatigue and the risk of accidents.

Arun, a native of Chevayur who died in the Bidadi accident, was working as a conductor. In July, applications were invited for 700 vacant driver-cum-conductor posts. The appointments are yet to be made.

Drivers resort to extreme measures to stay awake

The shortage of staff and additional duties have also led to concerns over how drivers cope with long working hours. Drivers have reportedly resorted to applying Vicks to their eyes to stay awake while on additional duty. The driver-cum-conductor system was introduced after a rise in road accidents. However, the shortage of staff continues to put pressure on employees. KSRTC Swift services also depend on temporary employees, who are reportedly assigned long duties without adequate rest. Recently, a female employee who had been on such a duty collapsed in Thiruvananthapuram.