Steering the course: A glimpse into the life of a driver

Many people work hard to make our life easy every day. Be it the lift operator at the office complex, the domestic help at home or those who drive our cars, navigating through bad roads and traffic to take us to our destination. Being a chauffeur is not easy, with the work entailing driving for hours and also waiting for hours.

But 45-year-old Ram Sohan, a driver with a publisher in Andheri, seems to have come to terms with this mundane routine. He has reconciled to the fact that life presents few options.

"Working with a private employer, as compared to drivers who drive private cabs or are affiliated with unions, comes with its benefits. Like the bond with the employer developed over a period of time," he offers. The waiting through the day until his boss needs to be taken to another destination gets tedious sometimes, he admits. "If there are fellow drivers waiting in the parking lot, then it's easier. If I'm alone, it's difficult."

Sohan has been working as a driver since 1996. He came to the city in 1991 from Bihar in search of better work opportunities. A typical day starts at 8.30am and, unlike other regular jobs with fixed hours, his goes on till his boss' day is over. "On average, my duty goes on for 12 hours. But I know my fellow drivers who have to work for 14 hours. They are still expected to show up on time the following morning," he says.

Though he is happy with his employer, who treats him well and offers him 30 days of paid leave, the long hours are tiresome. Fortunately, he hasn't developed any health issues despite two decades of logging hours behind the wheel. "The only problem I face is exhaustion and there are times when I really don't feel energetic enough to drive, but have to. Kaam toh kaam hai (Work is work)."

There are also times when he feels frustrated after a long day or because of traffic, but he has to remain calm. "I get extremely annoyed sometimes when we are stuck in a traffic jam or over other drivers' rash driving," he admits. "But I try not to show it." Though Sohan has never faced his boss' ire, he knows of other drivers who have been fired because they were irritated about the traffic and expressed their feelings.

Sohan feels that his work would be less monotonous if he had someone to talk to. "But I have to give my boss the space and privacy and can't expect him to chit chat with me."

He is also happy that his boss grants him leave in times of emergencies, during festivals and when he visits his native place. There have been other pluses too. "When I started working as a driver, I was taught to greet people with courtesies like good morning, good afternoon and so on. I am really glad about this… where else would I have learnt this bit of English?"

Asked if the pay is enough to sustain a family, he says solemnly with a shrug, "Aapko bhi pata hai na madam, 12 se 15 hazaar se zyada nahi milta (Even you know madam that we don't get paid more than Rs12,000-15,000 a month)." Rs15,000 is insufficient to maintain his family of five. "The annual hike in the salary is a mere Rs500 to Rs700," he adds.

The limited income means there is no getting away from travelling to work and back in public buses. The irony that a man who drives others around in a swanky car through the day has to perforce commute in buses because he can't afford a rickshaw ride is not lost on him.

Apart from the salary, the lack of respect towards drivers is something that bothers Sohan. "Driving is the only talent I have and so I can't try my hand at any other profession. But I really do hope that people can look at me and my profession with some dignity."