Chairman’s Message

From the Chairman’s Desk:

“With an initiative to do something for the drivers of the country, we brought in the Driver Seva Kendra for the Indian truck drivers in the year 2012. Being in the logistics industry for the last 27 years, I could closely feel the pain that these drivers go through. They are deprived of the basic necessities even when they spend a major part of their lives in serving the nation and its economy. As a tribute to the drivers, this Kendra takes care of all those necessities. Drivers are welcomed here by washing their feet and we also provide a place for the drivers to sleep. The Kendra is under the High-security zone and hence drivers can park their trucks here and take a proper rest of 6-8 hours. Other facilities like free ambulance service, food and sanitation, etc are also provided here. As a result of this step, we have successfully been able to save 41 lives a day on an average. We are working more on how and what better can be done in order to save more lives and also how can we provide more to these moving soldiers of the country.” – Ramesh Agarwal.

Drivers are ignored in today’s society, why?

Agriculture sector provides maximum employment opportunities in India, followed by the Transportation sector. The government’s annual budget contains a number of agricultural reforms but not once has the transportation sector figured in that list. The transportation industry has continuously been neglected in our country and that is the reason as to why it has not yet reached the position that it desires. Due to this, other industries and professions underestimate the importance and relevance that transportation holds for the economy.

This callousness has impacted the truck driver adversely. No matter the bone breaking hard work that he puts in, he is hardly ever recognized and respected for his work and his work is taken very lightly, and considered just an easy task; when the truth is far from that.

According to surveys, the life expectancy of an average Indian is about 72 years, while for a driver it is 62 years – ten years less than everyone else! These are the ten years that he sacrifices for his nation but no one recognizes that. Despite working round the clock, he barely earns enough to provide basic necessities to his family, who lead a life in his absence. The irony is that, Lord Ram earned the love and affection of the world after being on exile for 14 years. But these poor drivers sacrifice 10 years of their life, they sacrifice living with their families and yet no one even acknowledges what they do for the society and country.

While on long journeys, they are unable to even look into their basic hygiene for up to 2-3 days and when they fall ill, there is hardly any medical facility available to them on highways, and there is no possibility of taking a sick leave like we do, even when not importantly required. But drivers do not enjoy such perks. And when they return home exhausted from the travel, they can’t even express their woes to their family because even they are living in such terrible conditions. The truck driver works day and night just to ease the life of others while he himself leads such a difficult life.