'No seat' for BMTC bus drivers

There could be more than what meets the eyes to the rash driving by drivers of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). One of the reasons could be their tattered seats with spiky pipe rods and flat bars.

In contrast to the BMTC’s claim of hi-tech, luxury buses for the comfort of passengers, drivers of these ordinary buses have to sit on such torn seats while ferrying passengers safely to their destinations.  

Several of the drivers’ seats lack cushion; some are broken and in some others, backrests are also missing. Drivers manage to discharge their duty for hours, sitting on these ‘thorny’ seats.

A bus driver had replaced his ruptured seat frame with a cobble-stone to ensure hassle-free driving. Another bus driver weaved the seat frame and the backrest with electrical wires, while yet another stitched a jute sack on the seat frame.

The Karnataka Staff and Workers’ Federation has mailed photographs of torn seats in the State-run buses to the managing director of the BMTC.

However, Managing Director Anjum Parwez was not available for comment.