HC directs KSRTC to submit details of actual requirement of drivers

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to submit a comprehensive affidavit containing various details including the actual requirement of drivers within two weeks.

Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar also directed the KSRTC to furnish the details regarding the number of schedules being operated, the current driver-schedule ratio and the basis of staff fixation. The court asked the KSRTC to indicate in the affidavit the reason for reduction in the ratio between drivers and schedules.
Besides, the affidavit should contain the relevant portion of any report relied upon for arriving at the ratio reduction. The KSRTC should explain in the affidavit its policy decision on recruitment of drivers and other staff.

The court also directed the KSRTC to furnish details regarding the drivers being engaged on a daily basis and state whether the appointment of drivers on daily wage basis was resorted to only for filling the leave vacancies of existing drivers.

The affidavit of the KSRTC should indicate the number of drivers who have retired from service after January 1, 2020.

The court issued the directives on a writ petition filed by Nideesh Kumar and other candidates who figure in the PSC rank list prepared for appointment to the post of KSRTC drivers.

Meanwhile, in a fresh affidavit, the corporation has stated that it has decided to restructure the organisation by reducing the staff in all categories to bring the staff ratio on a par with the national average.

It was part of the implementation of the recommendation made by the Susheel Khanna Committee appointed to revamp the corporation.

As of now, the Corporation was operating 4,500 services on an average per day, for which, 10,800 drivers were required. The KSRTC also informed the court that the sanctioned strength of the staff could not be ascertained at this stage as the committee appointed for restructuring the staff strength was yet to submit its report.

10k drivers required
The corporation said it has decided to restructure the organisation by reducing the staff in all categories to bring the staff ratio on a par with the national average.
KSRTC was currently operating 4,500 services on an average per day, for which 10,800 drivers were
required.