Govt bus drivers in the Coimbatore region are baffled by a new & weird rule. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Coimbatore, has directed its drivers not to chat with women seated next to them.

Following complaints that drivers tend to get distracted because of such small talk, a circular was on Jan 19 issued warning drivers that departmental action will be launched against those who violate the rule.

A Senior TNSTC official, requesting anonymity said, “All it takes is a fraction of a second (for an accident). So, it is better to avoid such ‘unnecessary’ distractions".

M Radhakrishnan of Inaiyum Kaigal workers’ union in Coimbatore said there have been cases when drivers did not stop at stops though conductors had repeatedly asked them to.

He said that “Some remain so engrossed in conversation that they resume driving without ascertaining whether passengers are boarding or alighting".

Drivers, on the other hand, said such chit-chat, regardless of gender, came as a much-needed break. D R Ramesh a TNSTC driver said that earlier a similar rule was introduced barring conductors from occupying front seats. Subsequently, it was revoked after night-duty drivers complained that they found it difficult with no one to talk to.

Ramesh said that “If talking to women is their problem, let them change the seating pattern".

Unlike in Chennai, Coimbatore local buses have a different seating pattern. While male passengers mostly occupy the last 6-7 rows of the bus, women occupy the front half of the vehicle. So, if women do not find seats, they tend to sit on the bonnet next to the driver.

Some people sitting on the bonnet is a usual sight in most buses in the Coimbatore region, particularly those plying along Avinashi Road which is dotted with many women’s colleges, textile factories & of late professional workspaces. 

A new trouble for TNSTC is that women passengers are either forced to stand near bus entrances in dangerous positions or skip overcrowded buses & wait longer for the next bus.

“If the Govt is so concerned about our safety & comfort, they should operate more buses, particularly air-conditioned buses with more seats,” said M Divya, who works at BR Puram Industrial Estate. Coimbatore has only 8 air-conditioned buses.

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