DANGEROUS DEADLINE

ANGEROUS DEADLINE

Cab drivers speed to reach destinations on time. Are passengers also to be blamed

Sruthy Susan Ullas

Bangalore: Call centre cabs may sport this sign: If the driver is found driving rashly, contact... . But that doesnt seem to stop them from breaking traffic rules. To crackdown on this menace , the traffic police, jointly with Shell, have introduced Safe Fleet an initiative to stop rash driving.
Were roping in companies that send these cabs. The cab owner entrusts the job to the driver and pockets the money. So theres no point in blaming the drivers. Instead, we want to target companies that hire them, additional commissioner of police (traffic & security) Praveen Sood said.
Currently, five companies Infosys , Wipro, Accenture, Intel and Goldman Sachs are part of this initiative . The programme has set minimum standards for drivers. Those who adhere to them will be rewarded and errant drivers punished. The companies will not engage drivers who dont follow these standards, explained Sood.
More companies are likely to join voluntarily. Well make the firm concerned accountable for lapses, Sood added.

Catch-22 for drivers

Drivers are in a bind they work to near-impossible deadlines and have to cope with alarming lack of sleep.
Covering a distance of 40 km in 90 minutes and ferrying nine persons is a tough objective to fulfil during the day in this busy city. The passengers live in different places and we have to follow a strict schedule. If a passenger is late by two minutes, we have to cover up the lost time on the road, explained Babu, manager of Aiyappa Cab Agency.
Some employees feel they are running late, and they complain, which forces drivers into speeding, he said.
Drivers, too, maintain that employees influence their rash driving habit. Only 30-40 % employees arrive at the pick-up point on time. Others come late by 10-15 minutes. How can we compensate for the lost time other than by speeding asked Umesh, a cab driver.

They drive for 13 hours

A driver may work for more than one company, and the same vehicle may be used by different firms in separate shifts. Our drivers work for 13 hours every day with small breaks in between , Babu said.
Such a hectic schedule takes a toll on drivers. Without sleep and rest, they drive at odd timings, sometimes even for hours.
According to doctors, this causes stress and affects driving skills. Concentration levels and judgment are affected if drivers work for long hours without proper rest. This also increases their reaction time , making them prone to accidents, said Dr Donna Vinod of Government Hospital, Pandappilly, Kerala.
Reaction time refers to the muscular reflexes of a driver the faster a driver reacts under normal conditions , such as suddenly applying the brake, the higher are the chances of accidents.
Despite all the risks, drivers dont even have a counselling centre. Many are migrants from distant villages, and they have little savings from a salary of Rs 6,000 per month.
I cant even take up another job to supplement my income because of the odd timings, said Umesh.


RASH DRIVING



The problem

Drivers work to nearimpossible deadlines Have to cope with an alarming lack of sleep Covering 40 km in 90 minutes and ferrying nine persons is a tough objective Some employees arrive late at pick-up point. Drivers make up for lost time by speeding Drivers work for 13 hours with little rest, which affects their health

The solution

Traffic police and Shell launch Safe Fleet concept Programme has set minimum standards for drivers Drivers who stick to standards will be rewarded Errant drivers will be punished Companies wont engage drivers who dont abide by these standards Five companies have signed up. More are likely to join voluntarily