Acknowledging that there were issues related to bribes being demanded, BMTC officials said that the situation would get better with the introduction of the Intelligent Transport Solution (ITS) system for the city.
“For many years, drivers were upset with being asked to give bribes. We have introduced the kiosk management system for the same reason. They have avenues to approach the management like the Labour Welfare office, as well as health coverage,” said Ekroop Caur, managing director, BMTC.
She added that the introduction of ITS would mean that the duty rota generation would be taken care of by the system which would help avoid intervention by middle-level officials. “We are on track for introducing ITS by December this year and are installing machines in every depot,” she said. In the case of Vinayaka Murthy, who committed suicide on Monday, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) said that a departmental and police enquiry had been initiated.
A statement said that Mr. Murthy had not gone to the depot after 13 November. His last working day was the previous day.
“We have workshops and counselling sessions for our drivers, besides health check-up camps. Our staff duty rota system allots routes on the basis of seniority and preference. He (Murthy) was working on a route of his choice since 27 March this year,” a senior official said.
