Drivers say stress leads to accidents in Chennai

CHENNAI: These days, it takes MTC driver Gunasekaran (name changed) two hours more to complete his daily trips. Increasing traffic congestion not only makes it impossible for him to reach his destination on time but also adds immensely to his stress levels. 

Drivers like him who do long-distance routes such as Besant Nagar to Perambur, Avadi to Tambaram, Tiruvottiyur to Thiruvanmiyur and Broadway to Kelambakkam have the same complaint. They say the increasing traffic congestion, number of bus stops and passengers getting in and getting down at every bus stop pose a challenge in completing their trips on time and cause accidents.

"The number of signals on many roads have doubled in the recent years. Apart from automatic signals, there are also manual signals near schools and at intersections which have heavy traffic. It obviously increases our stress levels, cause irritation and leading to accidents many times,'' said an MTC driver in Koyambedu.

"Earlier, we used to see a jam only at traffic signals. But these days, almost all the roads are congested and it is unbearable during peak hours. Driving through places like T Nagar, Purasawakkam, Broadway, Nungambakkam High Road, Valluvarkottam is torturous. It has been even more difficult in the last few weeks as the road conditions are poor due to the recent rains,'' said another driver in Thiruvanmiyur.

Most senior drivers in MTC now opt for morning duty as traffic congestion is less compared to evening hours. "We really enjoy the first two trips in the morning as there won't be many vehicles on road. While passenger crowd and vehicle congestion is more from 8am to 10.30am, driving is not so hectic thereafter till afternoon. But in the evening hours, roads are full even upto 10.30pm. So many drivers prefer morning duty,'' an MTC branch manager in north Chennai said.

Official sources said over 700 new drivers who had joined the MTC on temporary basis quit the job in the last two or three years, mainly because they couldn't handle driving during peak hours.

While most of the drivers and transport employees unions have been urging the MTC to revise the running time chart' for buses, the management said it had been doing it periodically and insists that drivers should be more cautious in their duty.

"We have been holding yoga and meditation classes and health check-ups for drivers and sending them for eye test every year. Drivers who cause fatal accidents have to undergo one month special training. Our aim is not merely to reduce the number of accidents but to give the transport corporation accident-free record and it is in the hands of the drivers to make our vision a reality,'' said a senior official in the MTC.



Read more: Drivers say stress leads to accidents - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Drivers-say-stress-leads-to-accidents/articleshow/7219508.cms#ixzz1ALuB3sXo