John Wilbert and Saurabh Singh, Port Blair: The Andaman and Nicobar State Transport Service is facing a serious shortage of bus drivers and conductors, as the city dependent on public transit struggles against a rapidly ageing workforce in the Transport Department.
According to the reports, the State Transport Service focused on improving public transit in various Islands of this UT, but the bus driver and conductors’ shortage is throwing transit systems into crisis.
The findings show that the declining number of city bus drivers and conductors is the result of rising retirements, paired with delay in recruiting new staff.
Due to shortage of staff, bus services across Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been forced to reduce services. It is reported that many ATR buses are being operated without a conductor.
“Conductors in ATR buses play a very crucial role. While getting in the vehicle ferry or getting down the conductors work as extra eyes of the driver. During last panchayat election a STS bus had hit an old man at Baratang Jetty while reversing the bus and this happened due to absence of a conductor,” alleged Mr. Alager Swami the ZillaParishad member of Baratang Island.
He said that earlier public from any part of Middle and North Andaman were able to get on any ATR bus and get empty seats but now due to absence of conductors, even if there are empty seats, new passengers are not being allowed in ATR buses. “Drivers deny entry of people without tickets inside ATR buses even if there are empty seats. They are infact right, issuing tickets is not their duty,” Mr. Alager Swami added.
When Andaman Sheekha Daily contacted a senior officer of the Transport Department, he accepted that there is a shortage of staff in the department and assured that the department is managing its level best to give service by giving double duty to certain staff.
The officer further said that the information about the staff shortage in the department has already been given to the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and the recruitment process for nearly 100 staff is underway.
