A bus driver's dilemma!

                                   A bus driver’s dilemma!

          On Thursday morning, I was late at the bus station to catch a bus. So I missed a regular bus. Then I was waiting for another bus going to Navasari. While waiting for it, I put my head into the newspaper headlines. After some time the bus arrived there and it was a driver cum conductor. It meant that the driver had to play a dual role. First, he had to issue a ticket to the passengers and then drive the bus. But he did it well while driving the bus.

              I took my ticket and stood by his side. Slowly and gradually I began my conversation with him over his dual role. He also became friendly while responding to me. Then he shared his tension with me.

             He said, “I have to pass out the ‘CCC’ exam within six months.” Asking shockingly, “but why do you need to crack it? There is not any need for the driver. No relation between driving and computer.”

Further, he pointed out, “I am just 10 passed and don’t know much English, want to do lots of computer practice on the clerk’s computer. So I come early morning at 5 o clock at the bus stand.”

            I said, “I don’t think you have any need of that learning. You have to take care of only driving.”

          He smiled and blurted out, “but the bus department gave us the notice that all drivers have to clear it. Otherwise, they will be removed from the running job.”

                As our conversation was going on, others paid attention to us attentively. At that time I was shocked at the government’s notification for the drivers. Though I saw pressure on his face yet encouraged him to practice by joining the class. Again he said that there was lots of pressure mounted upon many drivers. I asked him why they felt pressurized at work. He intimated me by saying,

“If the driver brings a bus late, then he will pay the fine around 300 rupees. Or if he drives the bus fast, the bus consumes much diesel. Then the diesel department asks for a reason. Automatically the driver has to pay 150 rupees as the fine.”

          I didn’t say anything him on that point. But it surprised me over the attitude of that department. It meant that the drivers had to drive the bus rashly to escape these fines. Indirectly they would take a risk and not think of the passengers’ lives.

         At last, he said, “Many drivers are gearing up to resign at the age of 50, before retirement age. Because they all the time feel mental stress while doing the job.”

            I thought on the job of these drivers who would take risk of others’ lives. They didn’t come to realise the consequence of their action while doing their duties. Consciously and unconsciously they would meet an unexpected accident. Innocent people would become victims and lose their lives.

Whom to be blamed, either the government or the bus drivers or the innocent people?