Continuing from my previous column, today I will speak on the issue of Memorandum of Understanding done with the depot managers. This has been done to instill cost-consciousness among depot managers. Incentives aligned with targets set for cost reduction (viz. cutting down working expenditure by minimum 10 per cent from the existing level) are proving to be encouraging.

Another good thing that the DTC has done is to focus on the issue of vehicle maintenance. Various measures have been taken to strengthen depot workshop activities, with special focus on the night shift. Officers to ensure high degree of maintenance standards are carrying out regular checking. The core activities like fleet, inventory and human resources have been seamlessly integrated. This has proven to be of great help in reducing the downtime of vehicles in depot workshop in day shift thereby leading to an improvement in vehicle productivity apart from making the operation regular and punctual. The cost associated with CNG consumption too has declined from a level of Rs 5.67 per kilometre in 2003-04 to Rs 5.60 during the current financial year.

Another issue is of outsourcing of DTC drivers to mitigate shortage of about 2000 regular drivers. According to the report, this decision has helped in reduction of staff cost with no long-term liability on the corporation. However, I am against it. Many a times I have traveled in DTC buses driven by these drivers. They drive like blue-line buses and hardly stop on the designated stops. These drivers also don’t care about traffic violations and a conductor told me that in case the vehicle breaks down, they just leave the bus in the middle of the road and run away. It is poor conductors who then have to take care of the bus. Well, this situation is sad. A senior traffic police official once told me, “These drivers are worse than blue-line bus drivers. Accidents related to DTC buses are increasing because of them.”

I think this particular issue of outsourcing drivers needs some attention from the authorities.