PUNE: State transport bus driver Sachin Dhamal is angry about last Tuesday’s early morning incident. Dhamal was driving a bus towards Mumbai from Pandharpur when he was stopped near the Wakad bridge on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass by a car driver who then thrashed him claiming that the bus had hit his car.
“What do I say? I don’t want to talk about it. The police have not yet contacted me about the identity of the car driver. But I am upset that I got beaten up,” Dhamal said before hanging up his cellphone.
A few weeks ago, all that PMPML bus conductor Maruti Jamdade did was to ask a commuter to vacate a seat reserved for women. The man assaulted Jamdade who then had to be administered four stitches on his head.
“I don’t understand what made the man so angry. There were four of them, but I caught hold of one and we handed him over to the cops. After such a thing, it is hard to face family members as we feel humiliated and seem to have lost all respect,” Jamdade said.
Dhamal and Jamdade are among those drivers and conductors who have been assaulted over the years. From just three incidents in 2020 to 11 in 2021, 38 in 2022 and 35 this year until early October, these cases of assault have been rising. Officials said it was a matter of grave concern.
“The recorded cases are when we have lodged complaints with the police. In most cases, complaints are not lodged as some sort of compromise is reached. People should realize that an assault on drivers and conductors, who work in 8 hour shifts, has a psychological impact on them. It hits their confidence and chances of accidents increase,” Satish Gate, the PRO of PMPML, said.
Another PMPML driver, who faced an assault a few months back, is now back at his job. “But now, I am always afraid which makes me vulnerable to mistakes. However, I have a government job and it brings security to my family’s table each day,” the driver, who requested anonymity, said.
Private drivers are in an uneasy space too. Jagdeo Singh, president of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India, said there is a shortage of drivers for commercial vehicles, including buses and trucks in the country.
“There are a total of eight commercial transport vehicle segments in the country consisting of more than 25 lakh vehicles, including buses and trucks. At present, there is a shortage of more than six lakh drivers and we are able to do nothing about it,” Singh said.
Many transporters either having to hire inexperienced drivers or keep a part of their fleet non-operational. “We have sought help from the central government but a solution is awaited. We need proper driver training centres to tackle the issue,” Singh said.
Keshav Jathe, a Maharashtra based private bus driver with more than 15 years of experience, said that the main problem was with the authorities, the police and the RTO. “They tend to harass us even if we have all the documents. On 3-4 occasions, I have been abused and faced assaults from authorities. Then, the public looks down upon us considering us as bad and dangerous people. Under these circumstances, why should anyone want to take up this profession?” he said.
“What do I say? I don’t want to talk about it. The police have not yet contacted me about the identity of the car driver. But I am upset that I got beaten up,” Dhamal said before hanging up his cellphone.
A few weeks ago, all that PMPML bus conductor Maruti Jamdade did was to ask a commuter to vacate a seat reserved for women. The man assaulted Jamdade who then had to be administered four stitches on his head.
“I don’t understand what made the man so angry. There were four of them, but I caught hold of one and we handed him over to the cops. After such a thing, it is hard to face family members as we feel humiliated and seem to have lost all respect,” Jamdade said.
Dhamal and Jamdade are among those drivers and conductors who have been assaulted over the years. From just three incidents in 2020 to 11 in 2021, 38 in 2022 and 35 this year until early October, these cases of assault have been rising. Officials said it was a matter of grave concern.
“The recorded cases are when we have lodged complaints with the police. In most cases, complaints are not lodged as some sort of compromise is reached. People should realize that an assault on drivers and conductors, who work in 8 hour shifts, has a psychological impact on them. It hits their confidence and chances of accidents increase,” Satish Gate, the PRO of PMPML, said.
Another PMPML driver, who faced an assault a few months back, is now back at his job. “But now, I am always afraid which makes me vulnerable to mistakes. However, I have a government job and it brings security to my family’s table each day,” the driver, who requested anonymity, said.
Private drivers are in an uneasy space too. Jagdeo Singh, president of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India, said there is a shortage of drivers for commercial vehicles, including buses and trucks in the country.
“There are a total of eight commercial transport vehicle segments in the country consisting of more than 25 lakh vehicles, including buses and trucks. At present, there is a shortage of more than six lakh drivers and we are able to do nothing about it,” Singh said.
Many transporters either having to hire inexperienced drivers or keep a part of their fleet non-operational. “We have sought help from the central government but a solution is awaited. We need proper driver training centres to tackle the issue,” Singh said.
Keshav Jathe, a Maharashtra based private bus driver with more than 15 years of experience, said that the main problem was with the authorities, the police and the RTO. “They tend to harass us even if we have all the documents. On 3-4 occasions, I have been abused and faced assaults from authorities. Then, the public looks down upon us considering us as bad and dangerous people. Under these circumstances, why should anyone want to take up this profession?” he said.
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