The job of an air traffic controller, who manages air traffic and keep the skies safe, is considered one of the most stressful in the world. What has become an added cause of stress for many air traffic controllers at the Delhi airport is the odd-even car rationing scheme. The Air Traffic Services complex at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is situated at a distance form the Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line station, which has no other public transport system available either. Almost all air traffic controllers reach their workplace in their personal vehicles due to the odd hours they work. With the odd-even scheme coming in, they are worried about coming to work or going back home. “Our work goes on 24x7 and we all work in shifts that change at odd hours. We can’t bring our cars on alternate days due to the odd-even scheme. Also, if we bring our car on one day, we go back home the next day due to the hours of work,” said a senior ATC official who didn’t wish to be named.
“People like us who provide such essential services and work at odd hours should have been exempted. We do get travel allowance from office but not any pick and drop facility. We are dependent on our personal vehicles,” he said. “Also, most of us live at different places and chances of carpooling are limited,” he added. Like ATC officials, Customs officials too work round the clock and in shifts that pose the same problems.
“Those of us who come for the night shift start on one day and go back the next day. Any organisation that works in shifts will face the same inconvenience, but we will manage,” said Vinayak Azaad, Additional Commissioner of Customs at IGIA. “It is only for 15 days and we will work around it. We do need steps to curb pollution, even if it causes disruptions,” he said.
Most airlines, however, are not worried as they use CNG vehicles to ferry crew members and other staff.
Air Traffic Services complex is situated at a distance from the Airport Express Line station
