Dipak Kumar Das TNN
New Delhi: Drivers of Andhra Pradesh’s 23,000 public transport buses are a lot more responsible now, a transformation that has happened in the last six months. That’s because buses they’re assigned to have photographs of their children and wife stuck on the dashboard. This step, coupled with random mandatory breath analyzer tests, has had a salutary effect and accidents are significantly down.
Also, the December 16 Delhi gangrape has spurred the AP State Transport Corporation to make state bus travel safer for women. It has started martial arts training for its 7,000-odd women conductors so that they can help prevent attacks on passengers.
On Monday, APSRTC, which ferries at least 1.4crore passengers every year, received a trophy for its impressive accident-control record from highways minister C P Joshi. In the last two years, the corporation has recorded only 0.13 and 0.11 accidents per 1 lakh km.
“Ever since we started the two recent initiatives to slam the brakes on accidents, our record has improved to 0.09,” APSRTC vice- chairman and managing director A K Khan, an IPS officer, said.
The idea of putting a driver’s family photograph on the dashboard was implemented last July in view of the psychological impact it has on the man behind the wheel. “Every driver leaves home promising his family that he’d return home safe. A soft reminder of his family motivates him to be alert. This has gone down well with the drivers,” Khan said.
To ensure the drivers aren’t drunk, the corporation has procured 300 advanced breath analyzers and tests are mandatory. Last July, 25 drivers were sacked after they were found drunk. “This strong message of zero tolerance to drink driving has worked,” Khan said. This year, the Centre has put the focus on drunk driving to check road accidents across the country.
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