Bus drivers in Noida are navigating thick fog, risking their lives to transport commuters to destinations like Agra

NOIDA: Driving an early morning bus from Noida to Agra at this time of the year is partly guesswork for Manish Kumar. "We usually leave the depot at 5 am and reach Agra by 9 am. There is thick fog on the way and navigating becomes extremely difficult," he said.The city is wrapped in thick blanket of smog, particularly during early morning and late night and visibility drops sharply across the region. On Monday, it remained between 50m and 200m. Bus drivers risk their lives and move through the dense fog to take the early morning passengers to their destinations.

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The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation's (UPSRTC) Noida depot runs 188 buses connecting Noida with neighbouring districts such as Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Agra and Aligarh besides operating on long-distance routes to Lucknow and Dehradun.

With a crew of nearly 500 drivers and conductors, they ferry nearly 35,000 commuters daily. Nearly 150 buses ply between the Greater Noida depot to neighbouring areas like Meerut, Agra, Bulandshahr, Mathura, Aligarh, Lucknow, Hathras, Hapur, Bareilly, Badaun, Shamli, Dadri and Jewar.Despite the hazardous conditions, drivers say not turning up for work is not an option. They are paid about Rs 2 per kilometre and skipping trips would directly impact their earnings.

"We are contractual employees. If we drive less, we get paid less," said a driver.A bus conductor at the Noida depot, Aditya, recalled witnessing the massive pile-up near Mathura about two weeks ago. "Thirteen people were killed and many were injured in that accident. Visibility is very poor but we have to do our duty," he said.The assistant regional manager of UPSRTC Noida, Rohtash Singh, said the depot ensured that all buses are equipped with fog lights, wipers and indicators.

He added that drivers and conductors have been sensitised to maintain speed limits and follow traffic rules. "Night services from Noida to Lucknow have been temporarily suspended due to fog-related risks," he said.The situation is aggravated by inadequate lighting on the expressway, say bus drivers and operators. The general secretary of Delhi Interstate Bus Operators Sangh, Shyam Lal Gola, said hundreds of luxury buses ply between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and other states face similar issues.

"We found that lighting systems on the Yamuna Expressway and other e-ways are not good and ineffective during fog and inclement weather.