Baduku-Badukisu: Work-life balance key in public safety

Mysore/Mysuru: In an effort to create awareness among people about road safety, create awareness on work-life balance of KSRTC employees, facilities of KSRTC, 25 staff members of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) staged a street play ‘Baduki-Badukisu’ (Live-Let Live) at Bannimantap Bus depot in city on Monday.

Staff members of KSRTC have formed a cultural troupe called ‘Samskruthika Kala Kuteera’ and they stage unique street play at various KSRTC Depots of city from Monday. The street play was staged in Bannimantap bus depot on Monday noon and in Kuvempunagar depot in the evening. Yesterday, the street play was staged at Sathagalli depot and Suburban Bus Stand in the evening.

All-employee troupe

More than 25 staff members of KSRTC including B.M. Ganganna, K. Kalaiah, Praveen Kumar,  Siddarama Koppar, Mahadevu, Rangaswamy, Kokila Raj, Veeranna, Kunigal Manju, Nagesh, Muralikrishna and others have come together to stage these street plays in Mysuru. The play is written and directed by T.M. Balakrishna, who is also the Honorary Director of the Samskruthika Kala Kuteera.

“The team which started the tour a month ago, has so far covered Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara and Mysuru. They will stage the play at Mysuru Rural Bus Stand the next two days and then at Chamarajanagar, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davanagere and Shivamogga over a period of three months and that duration will be considered as official duty hours for the 25-member troupe,” said City KSRTC Divisional Controller S.P. Nagaraj.

Unique feature of this street play is that the troupe uses bus as the backdrop for the play, complete with musical instruments. 

Work-life balance key

One of the key objectives of the street play is to create awareness among the KSRTC employees on work-life balance, to give messages on good food and rest, thereby ensuring safety of self and those of the passengers. The drivers trust the technicians on the fitness of the vehicle. Similarly, the conductor plays an important role in keeping the driver engaged in conversations, especially during long trips.

Public-service oriented

The artistes through the play, depict everyday life of road transport staff and passengers including road safety, traffic, accidents, pick-pocketers, caution while overtaking other vehicles, effects of over-speeding, ill-effects of smoking and drinking, how to act in case of emergencies, acts of miscreants such as putting fire and pelting stones at buses during riots, etc. The play also stresses on the importance of passenger-friendly attitude of the employees towards each other and towards the passengers.  

The street play was inaugurated on Jan. 18 in Bengaluru. Transport Department Divisional Controller S.P. Nagaraju flagged off the street play on Monday at Bannimantap Bus depot. NR Police Inspector G. Shekhar, NR Traffic Inspector Diwakar, Bannimantap Depot Managing Director H.N. Raghu, Deputy Chief Labour and Welfare Officer K.K. Somashekhar, Divisional Coordinator Marigowda and others were present.

The troupe comprises four women, including drivers, conductors and technicians with an avid interest in theatre, from across the State.