Lady conductors plead for more karate classes

It was a programme meant to boost the confidence of female conductors and make them ready to face difficult situations. The one-week training initiative launched on January 28, 2013 did take off on a positive note with 74 members participating in it but, today it is reduced to a mere one-day a month affair.

With the number of harassment cases increasing every day against women and the fact that many of the 3,500 female conductors return home late after the second shift, the need for self-defence training is being felt even more.

B Viswanatham, a bus conductor and a 4th Dan Black Belt has been training his female counterparts since 2013. He says, “It takes 15 days for women conductors to get a hang of basic karate and to learn techniques of self-defence. Later, based on regular practice, it helps them ward of problems.”

In the recently conducted programme at the Zonal Staff Training College at Hakimpet, conductors said that the training was helpful but reducing it to only a day was a problem. Siriyala, a bus conductor says, “I have severe back ache and the exercises shown have been very helpful. I wish we had a more comprehensive training programme spread over a fortnight. It would have been helpful.”

When asked why the training programme, which was initially for 15 days, was reduced, a depot manager on condition of anonymity said that most of the managers of the 56 depots do not want to let go of Staff for days at a stretch.

Problems like back ache in women who undergo caesarian operations and knee pain (due to standing for long stretches of time) are common, says Dr Srividya, a private practitioner. Vishwanatham, “Self-defence not only helps them become confident but also fit.”

An issue that female conductors are in loggerheads with the depot managers is the second shift duty. Depot managers say that they have to follow the zonal seniority while marking duty and the ones who are junior have to work in second shift.

A conductor said that she finishes off duty at 11pm and by the time she reaches home it is midnight.