DRIVER SHORTAGE

Driver shortage is expected to grow even more acute with the second wave of pandemic.

- Bhushan Mhapralkar

Madhav runs a fleet of four Tata Ace in Pune. He pilots one of the vehicles whereas the other three are piloted by his band of drivers. All the vehicles operate in the industrial belts in and around the city, ferrying industrial goods among others. The current lockdown in Pune in view of the spike Covid infections has affected Madhav’s ability to operate at full strength. All three of his drivers have gone to their homes. They hail from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Left with just one vehicle to operate, Madhav is experiencing a big drop in ultilisation levels. Over phone, he states the lack of drivers is hurting the business. But then, he quips, it is also the case that industries have seen a huge drop in their operations. The lockdown that was announced in the second half of April 2021 has had a negative effect on industrial productivity. Plants in the industrial belts aren’t working at full capacity and the flow of raw material as well as the finished goods has slowed down considerably. The shortage of oxygen has put paid to any efforts to their operating smoothly. As industries slow down and shops remain closed, except for essentials, fleets other than those in the e-commerce and a few other sectors like pharma, the road transport fraternity has come to feel the pain. Much like last year. This is in-turn reflecting on the economic and social environment. It is also signaling driver shortage in the coming months as fears of nation-wide lockdown erupt. Especially on the minds of those that have travelled thousands of kilometers from their homes to work.