The absence of counsellors for drivers and conductors in the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in Nagpur division has raised serious concerns over the mental well-being of transport staff, with hundreds of employees in the division reportedly working under tremendous stress. According to officials, the corporation had earlier decided to appoint counsellors in each division to address the psychological stress faced by staff. However, the plan has largely remained unimplemented in several places, including Nagpur. The absence of such support has raised concerns within transport circles, especially in the backdrop of past tragedies. The 2012 rampage in Pune by bus driver Santosh Mane, who crushed nine people with a bus, remains a grim reminder of how unchecked mental stress among transport staff can turn disastrous.

 

While courts later deemed him mentally fit to stand trial, many observers believe that timely counselling and psychological support might have prevented the tragedy. To avoid such incidents in near future, the department made it mandatory in all divisions to keep counsellors to check the mental health of its drivers and conductors. Karishma Sharma, Divisional Personal Officer, MSRTC, Nagpur informed that fewer applications than expected were received for the counsellor post advertised for the 2024-25 year.

 

“Two posts were sanctioned for the Nagpur division, but only one candidate was selected. However, the candidate later refused to join the duty,” she said. Experts believe the reason here to be the meagre salary of Rs 4,000 per month the corporation was offering. Sharma further stated that a total of four applications had been received for the post. Of these, three were rejected because the candidates did not meet the minimum requirement of two years’ work experience. After the selected candidate declined to join in 2024, the Nagpur divisional office sought guidance from the central MSRTC office in Mumbai regarding the next course of action.

 

“Despite seeking directions nearly two years ago, the division has not received any communication on when fresh interviews for the post should be conducted,” she added. Drivers and conductors often work long hours while dealing with passenger complaints, traffic congestion and operational pressure. Each bus driver is responsible for the lives of more than 50 passengers travelling in the vehicle, making the job both mentally and physically demanding. Counsellors are expected to meet drivers and conductors personally, understand the stress, anxiety or pressures they face and guide them on coping mechanisms. They are also supposed to conduct regular visits and counselling sessions to help staff maintain psychological balance while handling demanding work schedules. With hundreds of staff operating buses daily across the region, employee representatives argue that ensuring mental health support is not merely a welfare measure, but also crucial for passenger safety. The continued delay in appointing counsellors risks leaving frontline ST workers to handle mounting stress without professional support.