The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : RTC hit by dearth of drivers

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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

RTC hit by dearth of drivers

S. Sandeep Kumar

Corporation announces over 2,700 vacancies, but only 800 apply

Drivers in demand with the IT sector using cars to transport their workers
Stringent recruitment norms and low salaries blamed for poor response

HYDERABAD: The State capital can boast of having the biggest fleet of city buses and there are plans to increase the fleet size too. But now the hitch is that the RTC city region is unable to find drivers for them.

Enhanced fleet

Due to the lack of a dedicated mass transport system in the twin cities, more than 36 lakh commuters use the fleet of 2,950 buses everyday in the twin cities. The increasing number of passengers is forcing the authorities to enhance the fleet, but it has now become difficult to find drivers.

The RTC has announced vacancies for 2,700 drivers on contract basis last month, but to their dismay only 800 people applied for the jobs. The reason, officials surmise, is the burgeoning IT and ITES sector providing car transport for its workforce creating a huge job potential for drivers.

Beginning from stringent recruitment norms to low salary packages, there are many reasons for drivers to opt for private organisations. While APSRTC pays a monthly salary of about Rs.5, 000 to Rs.7, 000 to a contract driver depending on experience, private organisations pay an entry level salary of around Rs.10, 000 per month.

Moreover, unlike the easy working hours in private organisations, drivers working with RTC are subject to more stress. Driving in heavy traffic followed by number of trips to be operated per day and other factors leave drivers exhausted by the time they return home, explains a senior RTC official.

Stringent norms like possession of Heavy Vehicle Driving License, five years of driving experience and a minimum 165 cm of height make it even more difficult for authorities to recruit more drivers.

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Andhra Pradesh