The increase in the number and frequency of accidents involving the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses and their drivers point to a problem in its Human Resource Management department.
Given that there is no question about the level of training and experience of the drivers employed by the company, nor are any of the accidents due to mechanical failures on the part of the buses involved, then it calls for a deeper analysis of the conditions under which the drivers work. In this regard, one has to point out that, since the removal of the conductresses /conductors from the buses, drivers, who are now required to serve as both driver and conductor, have faced a drastic increase in the number of interactions in which he/she is involved in on any one shift. For example, driving from Portmore to Kingston, the driver of the bus can be involved in at least 100 passenger-driver interactions in less than an hour, to which one must also add the number of interactions in which he/she is engaged with other road users, both pedestrians and motorists. The net effect of this sharp increase in the number of interactions is an increase in the level of mental stress and fatigue.
Secondly, many drivers are forced to deal with near-paralysing bright lights from headlamps from other motorists, both during the day and during the night -- yes, in the day -- which adds to the level of mental stress the driver is forced to contend with at a subconscious level. Somehow, the police have taken no action to prevent the usage of fog lights and other super-bright headlights on the city streets, either during the day or during the night. And here one must also add the reckless use of the police's own bright flashing lights, which can have a very disorienting effect on the individual.
One also has to look at the distribution of overtime and the number of hours given to any single driver during a single workday and/or workweek. Given the stressful conditions under which the drivers work, are they being given enough time to rest and to be road-ready?
The issue of facilities is also a major challenge, While a taxi driver can go to a shop and buy a soda or any form of energy drink, the driver of the bus which travels a route all day has no time to go and buy such a drink. Also, one would have noticed that the company does not provide coffee and/or tea stands for its drivers and other employees at the bus park in Half-Way-Tree, downtown or any of his terminal points. Nor is there any place where a driver might sit in peace and have his or her lunch. The police have mobile lunch facilities, the JUTC drivers and crew have no access to any such facility.
To add to the above, the vast majority of the workforce of the JUTC are parents, who have concerns about the well-being of their children. While some companies, such as the National Housing Trust, have provided after-school care facilities for the children of their employees, and even have summer programmes for these children, the JUTC employees and drivers who work under great stress have no such facilities and are thus forced to carry these parental concerns with them during the workday.
Finally, one has to examine the culture which exists among the drivers themselves. Has the company allowed or encouraged the development of possible negative views in regard to road usage among the drivers? To what degree is there monitoring of driver performance on the roads? While it is important to track and manage the flow of revenue into the company, it is also important to monitor driving habits to ensure that what is earned is not spent on avoidable repairs and victim compensation. Equally as important is to recognise those drivers with good driving habits.
The JUTC needs to examine how it manages its human resources and carry out the needed corrections.
BasilAksumite@gmail.com
JUTC has an HRM problem
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Given that there is no question about the level of training and experience of the drivers employed by the company, nor are any of the accidents due to mechanical failures on the part of the buses involved, then it calls for a deeper analysis of the conditions under which the drivers work. In this regard, one has to point out that, since the removal of the conductresses /conductors from the buses, drivers, who are now required to serve as both driver and conductor, have faced a drastic increase in the number of interactions in which he/she is involved in on any one shift. For example, driving from Portmore to Kingston, the driver of the bus can be involved in at least 100 passenger-driver interactions in less than an hour, to which one must also add the number of interactions in which he/she is engaged with other road users, both pedestrians and motorists. The net effect of this sharp increase in the number of interactions is an increase in the level of mental stress and fatigue.
Secondly, many drivers are forced to deal with near-paralysing bright lights from headlamps from other motorists, both during the day and during the night -- yes, in the day -- which adds to the level of mental stress the driver is forced to contend with at a subconscious level. Somehow, the police have taken no action to prevent the usage of fog lights and other super-bright headlights on the city streets, either during the day or during the night. And here one must also add the reckless use of the police's own bright flashing lights, which can have a very disorienting effect on the individual.
One also has to look at the distribution of overtime and the number of hours given to any single driver during a single workday and/or workweek. Given the stressful conditions under which the drivers work, are they being given enough time to rest and to be road-ready?
The issue of facilities is also a major challenge, While a taxi driver can go to a shop and buy a soda or any form of energy drink, the driver of the bus which travels a route all day has no time to go and buy such a drink. Also, one would have noticed that the company does not provide coffee and/or tea stands for its drivers and other employees at the bus park in Half-Way-Tree, downtown or any of his terminal points. Nor is there any place where a driver might sit in peace and have his or her lunch. The police have mobile lunch facilities, the JUTC drivers and crew have no access to any such facility.
To add to the above, the vast majority of the workforce of the JUTC are parents, who have concerns about the well-being of their children. While some companies, such as the National Housing Trust, have provided after-school care facilities for the children of their employees, and even have summer programmes for these children, the JUTC employees and drivers who work under great stress have no such facilities and are thus forced to carry these parental concerns with them during the workday.
Finally, one has to examine the culture which exists among the drivers themselves. Has the company allowed or encouraged the development of possible negative views in regard to road usage among the drivers? To what degree is there monitoring of driver performance on the roads? While it is important to track and manage the flow of revenue into the company, it is also important to monitor driving habits to ensure that what is earned is not spent on avoidable repairs and victim compensation. Equally as important is to recognise those drivers with good driving habits.
The JUTC needs to examine how it manages its human resources and carry out the needed corrections.
BasilAksumite@gmail.com
JUTC has an HRM problem
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