Drivers will now receive around 300 pesos for an eight-hour day that includes a 30-minute lunch break. They will also get 21 vacation days a year, social security benefits and a Christmas bonus equivalent to 50 days’ salary. The state government had given bus concessionaires until April 1 to come up with a plan to regulate drivers and their working habits.
Meanwhile, around 100 drivers took to the streets this week to defend themselves against growing public anger provoked by a recent bus accident which claimed the life of an 18-year-old high school student. Many of the city’s 10,000 bus drivers feel they are the victims of a witch hunt because of a few isolated incidents. They are asking for more respect and recognition of the fact that they are trying to earn an honorable living in difficult economic times.