Transport industry worried over drivers shortage

New Delhi, Nov 5: As in the skies, so on the roads. If India's aviation industry is beset with a shortage of top rate pilots, transport companies all over the country are also grappling with a severe paucity of skilled drivers for their heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs).

A study, conducted by Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) on HCV drivers, has come out with a startling revelation that despite buoyancy in economic activities, the fleet strength of 18 out of 20 prominent transport companies in the country has come down to 50 per cent.

One transport company maintained almost the same fleet size and only one company added around 10 per cent to the fleet strength in the last five years.

The study, conducted in 13 states and the NCT of Delhi, reported that the annual growth of heavy and light commercial vehicles was about 15-20 per cent, constituting 65 per cent of the nation's cargo handling.

''But the growing shortage of drivers for HCVs may trigger a major slump in the transport industry,'' said the report.

The result has already been showing. As against 500-700 km in several developing and developed countries, a truck covers only 250-350 km a day in India, resulting in lower fleet productivity.

With India in the midst of developing world class highways under the NHDP, coupled with the new age multi-axle trucks entering the Indian roads, the shortage of skilled drivers may turn out to be a major roadblock to the massive investment in highwys construction and modernisation.

''The goal to achieve 500 km daily coverage by goods carriage may remain a mere pipedream for our planners and transport industry if they are unable to tide over this crisis,'' said the report.

At present, 75 per cent of 10.5 lakh HCVs is being plied by a single driver though the National Permit licence stipulates all such vehicles must be having two drivers each. Thus, at present, there is a shortage of 7-8 lakh skilled drivers.

The shortage, said the report, was due to occupational hazards far outweighing the incentives and working conditions steadily deteriorating for truck drivers. ''One reason for drivers staying away from HCVs is growing vandalism by local outlaws on the routes and escalating highway robberies, resulting in loss of life and property,'' it said.

Another reason is lack of highway support in case of breakdowns or accidents. The drivers are also subjected to various kinds of harassment by enforcement authorities.

Further, HCV drivers are not covered by most of the laws like the Minimum Wages Act, medical insurance, provident fund, retirement or gratuity benefits unless they belong to a large transport company.

However, 95 per cent of truck operators are small fleet owners, having two to three vehicles.

In the absence of the poor application of the Minimum Wages Act, drivers' wages may be as low as Rs 2,000 per month while they have to drive vehicles worth Rs 6-10 lakhs, on an average, for several days.

''These are some of the reasons for drivers giving preference to softer options like driving LCVs and tourist or passenger buses, where driving hazards are less and they have the option to operate on shorter distances from their home towns,'' said the report.

Of the 1000-odd drivers interviewed, around 600 accepted that they were carrying fake, multiple or invalid driving licences. The report also observed that less than 10 per cent of them had an accident-free record and a large number of them also conceded that they indulged in carrying extra cargoes to supplement their paltry income.

The study recommended that a computerised National Register should be maintained to check issuance of fake or duplicate licences while drivers ought to be trained at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).

This will not only standardise the system for imparting driving skills but may also reduce the number of accidents and ensure better maintenance of the vehicles.

Besides recommending matriculation as educational qualification for a skilled drivers, it also suggested mandatory general health check-ups, particularly eye tests, of the drivers. The blood group of drivers should be mentioned in the licence to be of help in emergency medical aid.

UNI