MSRTC's 40-plus bus drivers to get mandatory medical check-up

The move will help curb accidents which increased to 3,150 in 2013-14 in Maharashtra

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has decided to make medical checkup compulsory for drivers aged above 40 years with a view to arrest traffic-related fatalities, its Vice Chairman and MD Sanjay Khandare said today.

The move will help curb accidents which increased to 3,150 in 2013-14 in the state, he said.

There are 38,645 drivers with MSRTC, of which 22,612 are over 40 years of age, Khandare, told PTI here.

MSRTC will spend Rs 1.13 crore on medical checkups of these drivers, which began in November last year and will continue till March. Over 5,000 drivers will be covered during the period, he added.

The check-ups will help detect any major disease or stress among drivers that might affect their performance, he said, adding, as many as 63 counsellors are being appointed for counselling of drivers and conductors.

"Our drivers now have to go through refresher training courses. They may be well-experienced, but a refresher course will revitalise them. It will be conducted periodically in all bus depots. They are also undergoing counselling from experts," the senior IAS officer said.

He said MSRTC is also holding discussions with leading corporate houses on providing amenities in drivers' retiring rooms, like having television sets and carrom boards etc, through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.