Guntur: Youngsters are reluctant to drive the big cars. The new generation is not interested in working as lorry or truck drivers despite the Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 being offered per month as salary. They prefer to work as employees in other industries even for a paltry sum of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. The youth are seeking limited hours jobs and would rather ply their own auto-rickshaws and cars-on-rent rather than work such long hours.
Incidentally, there are no government driving schools and it is only the private driving institutes that offer training. The Krishna District Lorry Owners Association started a Model Driving Training Institute and Research Centre at Ampapuram of Krishna district.
Association President Mr Y.V. Eswara Rao lamented, “Even though the driving school has the capacity to train 100 candidates in one batch, we are struggling to find 50-60 candidates due to reluctance of present generation towards lorry driving. The government should introduce welfare schemes for truck drivers with pension and medical facilities to save the truck industry.” 50-year-old driver Mr P. Ganesh lamented lack of health and other benefits for truck drivers.
