This was a really bad experience for you, largely due to the unrealistic and unlawful schedules set by the KSRTC administration and the inaction of the government to address these issues. It may have been a lucky or unlucky coincidence that you got a driver who followed the rules, which is not common in KSRTC.
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Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE The bus driver, (new shift, new guy) was heard saying we are so late we will leave immediately as my seat was just diagonally opposite to that of the driver. A fellow came and asked the driver when will the bus leave as he had to go to the restroom to which the driver replied that he cannot guarantee anything as it was already very late and that's why he is still idling the engine.
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To begin with, the bus you travelled in was operated by Aluva KSRTC and it starts at 07:40 AM from Aluva and is supposed to reach Trivandrum by 02:20 pm covering 240 km, then returning to Aluva by 3:30 pm. The bus got only one driver to cover the entire route. (Earlier they had a Driver cum Conductor system but now it is rarely followed). According to the schedule, the bus should reach Aluva by 09:55 pm and by that time the driver might have driven 480 km in 14 hours and 15 minutes.
Running time of 6 hours and 40 minutes from Aluva to Trivandrum is not practical, and even on normal days, it may take the bus around 7 hours and 30 minutes to cover the busy MC road in the morning rush. Onam weekend rush might add to it, so the bus might have reached Trivandrum by 4PM. They will be sending the bus details through sms only after the bus reached the depot.
It is important to note that KSRTC schedules are managed by depot officials, not by drivers or conductors. Although they had a schedule for the bus, the driver had to get approval from the depot's controlling inspector before it could start (even at the pre-scheduled time). Thus, the driver might have thought that they would get clearance without delay, but the scheduling inspector might have thought differently. You can’t blame the driver for that.
Moreover, the driver and conductor will not receive any extra duty or payment for this delay, and the waiting time will simply add some extra working hours to their schedules. The bus arrived back at 1 AM, so they worked for seventeen hours and twenty minutes, but this extra working time will not be included in their duty hours. (7 hours driving is the normal duty time so this means almost half day’s extra duty). So, they are the real losers of the situation along with some passengers like you.
According to the Kerala motor vehicle workers act, drivers can assign not more than eight hours of duty per day and in rare cases, they can assign up to 12 hours. Nevertheless, the normal duty assigned to him is about 14.5 hours, and the actual duty he performs is about 17 hours. The time between schedules is also limited, and there is no time for him to rest. KSRTC assigns duty in such a pathetic manner that is a real threat to road users and passengers. In 2018, the Kerala high court ordered KSRTC to follow the rules and ensure that no driver or conductor is assigned over duty. However, the government-sponsored corporation continues to violate both rules and the court's order. A blind eye is being turned by the government towards this dangerous activity.
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https://englisharchives.mathrubhumi....rala-1.3100899)
In this case, you had an overworked driver who just drove 8 hours with no rest in the heavy traffic and he had to drive another 8 hours on the same road. Despite this, the driver kept his cool and did not even exceed the speed limit. Rarely do we see a KSRTC bus following the rules or limiting its speed. (The maximum allowed speed on MC road is 60 KMPH). It is also possible that the bus had a speed governor working, which is also unusual for a KSRTC bus. Perhaps the driver was trying to achieve specific mileage targets, which explains the low speed and gears he used to climb hills.
The bus was supposed to reach Aluva by 09:55 pm, but it arrived at 1 am instead. If the driver hadn't followed the speed limit, you would have saved around 30 minutes, considering the bus started at 5 and the heavy traffic for the first hour.
Our options as travellers in this scenario are limited unless KSRTC schedules buses in a practical manner and gives their staff enough rest between shifts. While Next time, while booking a KSRTC bus, book through their official website which will show the operating depot of the bus. Except for the night long-distance buses, you could prefer a bus which is operated from your starting depot. This will ensure that in a normal scenario, your bus will at least start on time.