In January 2024, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) to improve airline pilots' working hours, following extensive reviews of fatigue reports and global norms. The Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 further highlighted the issue of pilot fatigue.
That the government and regulators are attentive to aviation safety is welcome. Yet IndiGo's failure to comply with the new rules triggered a meltdown in the domestic aviation sector.
The crisis has also brought long-standing concerns of drivers in other public transport systems back into focus. Recently, Indian Railways' loco pilots demanded duty-hour limits to prevent fatigue and avert potential accidents. Citing the government's mandate for airline pilots, the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) argued that railway crews have, for decades, sought a "scientifically designed working atmosphere". It accused the government of partiality and of being soft on IndiGo, saying large corporations "resist safety regulations" and the government "kneels before their diktats, neglecting system safety".
This raises an uncomfortable question: why is fatigue treated seriously only in the cockpit, and not in the cabins of India's trains, taxis, buses and metro systems?
Economics of Exploitation
Millions of Indians use public transport daily. Indian Railways carries over 23 million passengers, public buses over 35 million, and metro systems more than 10 million - including over 7 million a day in Delhi alone.
Roads account for around 65% of passenger movement, and buses carry about 90% of that load.
Yet India loses more than 1.7 lakh lives every year to road accidents. Government data repeatedly notes that driver error contributes to nearly 75% of crashes, with fatigue, overspeeding and long hours playing a major role.
While aviation has strict limits on duty hours, mandatory rest, and rigorous medical oversight, India's bus, cab, truck and train drivers often work under punishing and poorly regulated schedules. Most operate in a legal grey zone where exhaustion is normalised and overwork is institutionalised.
When a fatigued driver crashes, the consequences are rarely limited to the driver: schoolchildren in buses, families in taxis are at risk. Unlike pilots, who operate in tightly monitored environments with multiple layers of redundancy, road and rail drivers contend with chaotic traffic, poor infrastructure, bad weather and weak enforcement. Fatigue magnifies every hazard.
Railway loco pilots face chronic pressure: extended shifts, night duties, irregular meals and unpredictable rest cycles. Unions have long flagged crew shortages that force longer rosters, increasing the likelihood of human error in systems where a single lapse can cost hundreds of lives.
App-based cab drivers present another stark example. Studies consistently show many Uber, Ola and similar drivers work 10-14 hours a day to meet incentive targets and pay steep EMIs. For many, "rest" means sleeping in their cars between trips. This is not entrepreneurship - it is algorithm-driven exhaustion. When accidents occur, blame is individualised while the system that produced fatigue escapes scrutiny.
Better Working Conditions
Medical research shows sleep deprivation slows reaction times as much as alcohol intoxication. Being awake for 18 hours impairs judement at a level comparable to a 0.05% blood-alcohol concentration. Yet India routinely allows commercial drivers to operate after 12-16 hours of continuous work.
Countries with strict limits on commercial driving hours consistently report lower accident rates and more reliable services. India cannot remain an outlier that normalises fatigue.
The harsh truth is this: a tired pilot endangers hundreds of passengers at 35,000 feet, but an exhausted bus driver endangers lives every single day on Indian roads. The difference is visibility. A plane crash becomes a national headline; hundreds of small road crashes are dismissed as routine.
India's economy runs on wheels and rails - but its drivers run on exhaustion. The gap between the protected pilot and the overworked train, bus and taxi driver reflects a deeper inequality in how we value lives in transit.
A common argument against mandatory rest or shorter shifts is that they will "hurt efficiency" or "raise costs". In reality, they will create employment.
If drivers are limited to humane eight-to-ten-hour shifts with weekly offs, operators will be compelled to hire more staff. This could generate jobs for lakhs of young people, particularly in smaller towns and semi-urban areas where formal work is scarce. The logistics and transport sector is already one of India's largest employers; regulated rostering would strengthen it further.
Even IndiGo's crisis stemmed from under-hiring to keep costs low. When the November 1 deadline arrived, the company was unprepared, leading to delays and cancellations due to pilot shortages. Other airlines, such as Air India and Akasa Air, hired proactively and adapted smoothly to the new FDTL norms.
Predictable work hours, fixed offs and adequate rest are not luxuries - they are essential occupational health measures. At stake is not just worker welfare but every citizen's right to safe mobility.
(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
