The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Employees’ Union have urged the management to arrange for coronavirus testing of every employee of the public transport giant.
A sharp spike in the positive cases is becoming a cause of worry for the departments that directly come in contact with the public on a daily basis. Employees’ union general secretary P. Damodar Rao said going by the management’s own admission, nearly 30 employees have been tested positive so far.
Infection count
“A woman conductor of Kadapa RTC depot succumbed to the virus recently. Traffic and garage staff in other depots have also been tested positive, causing worry among the RTC employees. The management should not waste more time and arrange for COVID-19 testing for all the employees,” said Mr. Damodar Rao. In a letter submitted to Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah, Principal Secretary (Transport) M.T. Krishna Babu, and RTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Madireddy Pratap, Mr. Rao demanded that the staff on duty should be supplied with masks and sanitisers.
‘No breath analysers’
The buses should be sanitised after every trip, before allowing the next batch of passengers to board the vehicles. The government should extend the insurance facility of ₹50 lakh to employees in case of death due to the virus,” he said.
The employees’ union leader also wanted the management to do away with the use of breath analysers for traffic and garage staff on duty till the impact of the virus fades.
“If a staff member is suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, he could be replaced with other staff,” he suggested.
“Use of breath analysers at a time when the COVID-19 cases are rising would tantamount to heightening the risk of its further spread,” said Mr. Damodar Rao.
