Loco pilots demand humane treatement ahead of budget

Aparajita Ray | TNN | Feb 6, 2016, 

Representative image

BENGALURU: Govindarajan, the loco-pilot whose presence of mind and experience saved hundreds of lives on board the Kannyakumari—Bengaluru express that derailed during the wee hours of Friday, says, "I have not done anything great. It is my responsibility to save my passengers."

Is he being simply humble or is he afraid of being framed?

He was being counselled and treated for trauma in Bengaluru in the railway hospital on Saturday. He refused to open up to TOI and share his anxiety at the moment while the coaches were tilting.

Govindarajan slowly pulled the brakes when he heard the rumbling of the last coach-S 6 tilting that saved the coaches from derailing with maximum impact.

He is set to return to Erode shortly after the investigations are over and join work if it is found that it was not his fault at all.

Although south western railway officials have already admitted that the rails cracked because of improper maintenance, the loco-pilot community at large is threatened and has sought for reducing their work stress and revising the Hours of Employment Regulation (HoER) in the railway. L Mony, president of All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) pointed out that all committees set up to investigate point fingers on human failure for causing 80 percent of railway accidents.

The policy mandates duty hours at a stretch for eight hours and get 30 hours of rest weekly, with interruptions. They have to remain away from their headquarters where they are posted for over 48 hours and have three days of night shift continuously.

"But what is worse the loco motive cabins still do not have toilets and ACs and the sound of the cabin itself can tire out anyone if you are in it for about four hours. Loco running staff agitate also on insufficient rest periods, insufficient time with family, unsafe working, violations and short cut procedures that make them fatigued at much early age. Many house committee from 1973 have failed to understand our pains," he said.