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Harried bus drivers given counseling
By Xu Wenwen |
November 4, 2009, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A bus driver was slapped for refusing to let a woman take her dog on the bus. A female driver was wailed and wept when she finally drove into the bus terminal.
It's not easy being a bus driver in Hangzhou where the men and women at the wheel get insulted, heckled, even struck from time to time. Anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive behaviors sometimes result from abuse.
Now drivers are getting help and balm for their frazzled nerves.
The city just opened the first bus drivers' psychological counseling center at the Hangzhou No. 3 Public Transport Co last week.
Teachers and psychology postgraduates from Hangzhou Normal University help ease the pressure, offer encouragement and sometimes just provide a shoulder to cry on.
During May, a group of postgraduates rode with many bus drivers, witnessing and recording grievances.
Drivers were subjected to complaints, harassment, scolding, and even hitting.
The biggest problems were passengers' complaining when drivers stop suddenly, demanding to get off before the bus reaches a stop and insisting that they inserted the correct coin fare when they were short.
A driver in a bad mood can be a bad driver, starting, stopping or turning suddenly, complaining to passengers - a vicious circle.
The counselling room is 30 square meters, in a quiet corner of the bus company office. It's not too big or too small, ensuring a sense of comfort. The walls are painted a calming blue. The decor is pleasing, with green plants and landscape paintings. There's a comfortable sofa and chairs at angles, so the driver doesn't have to stare straight ahead, keeping his or her eyes on the road.
"We want to offer drivers a place where they can unload their burden so they drive with a relaxed mind," says deputy manager of the bus company, who only identifies himself as Xu.
Hangzhou buses carry 1 billion people annually, and there are about 8,000 drivers who need to serve nearly 2.74 million passengers every day on average, Xu says.
It's not easy being a bus driver in Hangzhou where the men and women at the wheel get insulted, heckled, even struck from time to time. Anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive behaviors sometimes result from abuse.
Now drivers are getting help and balm for their frazzled nerves.
The city just opened the first bus drivers' psychological counseling center at the Hangzhou No. 3 Public Transport Co last week.
Teachers and psychology postgraduates from Hangzhou Normal University help ease the pressure, offer encouragement and sometimes just provide a shoulder to cry on.
During May, a group of postgraduates rode with many bus drivers, witnessing and recording grievances.
Drivers were subjected to complaints, harassment, scolding, and even hitting.
The biggest problems were passengers' complaining when drivers stop suddenly, demanding to get off before the bus reaches a stop and insisting that they inserted the correct coin fare when they were short.
A driver in a bad mood can be a bad driver, starting, stopping or turning suddenly, complaining to passengers - a vicious circle.
The counselling room is 30 square meters, in a quiet corner of the bus company office. It's not too big or too small, ensuring a sense of comfort. The walls are painted a calming blue. The decor is pleasing, with green plants and landscape paintings. There's a comfortable sofa and chairs at angles, so the driver doesn't have to stare straight ahead, keeping his or her eyes on the road.
"We want to offer drivers a place where they can unload their burden so they drive with a relaxed mind," says deputy manager of the bus company, who only identifies himself as Xu.
Hangzhou buses carry 1 billion people annually, and there are about 8,000 drivers who need to serve nearly 2.74 million passengers every day on average, Xu says.
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