THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Goaded by the
accident which claimed three lives at Ithikkara in
Kollam on Mon day, the
KSRTC will begin strict implementation of single-duty system on long distance services during night hours from Friday (Chingam 1).
“Either the driver-cum conductor system or crew change system will be imple mented in 500 long-distance services during night ho urs,” KSRTC chairman and managing director Tomin J Thachankary told reporters here on Tuesday. By Septem ber 1, all long-distance night services will be brought un der the single-duty system he said.
Two among those killed in Monday’s accident are KSRTC employees. “The single-duty system is being implemented in this backdrop. The bus was being driven continuously by the same person from 9pm to 6.30am,” he said.
Under the driver-cumconductor system, each bus will have two drivers, one of whom will do the job of the conductor when the other one is driving. “We have already given training to 720 employees to function as driver-cum-conductors and the rest of the drivers will be given training soon,” the KSRTC CMD said.
For implementing crew change system, resting places for drivers and conductors will be arranged in Thrissur, Palakkad and Sultan Bathery depots. As per laws, the conductors’ duty will be for eight hours a day while that for drivers (steering duty) is seven hours. The prescribed duty hours will be strictly implemented.
Measures for redeployment of buses and for rectifying faulty schedules are fast progressing, the KSRTC CMD said. Last year saw 1,712 accidents involving KSRTC buses, which led to 202 casualties. This year, there has been 749 accidents so far, killing a total of 94 persons. Most of the accidents took place during night hours, he added.
Representative image
