Heydays of private drivers over

Gowliguda: With the ongoing strike by employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) which started 48 days back being called off, it appears that the heydays of private drivers and conductors are over.

Owing to the strike, the drivers who were regularly engaged in operating the buses earned about Rs 50,000, while conductors made some Rs 30,000 per each month, even as 27 employees died for various reasons, including suicide.

The TSRTC strike began on October 5, forcing around 10,000 buses to confine to the depots, even as 50,000 employees took part in the first-of-its-kind strike in the Telangana. Ever since the corporation has hired private drivers and conductors, on a daily wage of Rs 1750 and Rs 1000 per day.

According to MGBS Regional Manager Khusro Shah Khan, ever since the strike began, around 60 per cent of buses had been running in Hyderabad region with all hired employees. At first, they hired a driver for Rs 1,500 and a conductor for Rs 1000 per day. Later on, the wage of the driver was increased in city limits to Rs 1,750 per day.

In Hyderabad region there are 17 depots where a total of 1,664 buses are running daily, but since the strike began they have been decreased by 60 per cent. Whereas by Thursday, the 48th day of its strike, 870 buses (52 per cent) were running in region (including 650 RTC and 220 hired). During this period sometimes the figure touched more than 900 buses.

The RM said that from these 17 depots the earning of the 1,664 buses was around Rs 1.37 crore per day, but now it decreased to Rs 47 lakh and the expenses were also decreased. He also said that there was a drastic decrease in number of passengers; as against around 9 lakh passengers on normal days, the number decreased to around 6 lakh.