This unique facility at IOCL, Narsapura in Karnataka is designed to provide comfortable rest stops to commercial vehicle drivers, thereby improving on-road working conditions and safety
Continuing to pledge support to the driver community, Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, in conjunction with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), the largest commercial oil company in India, flagged off the of the second Saarthi Aaram Kendra, at COCO Narsapura, Karnataka, near Bangalore on NH4. The initiative aims to improve the on-road conditions of commercial vehicle drivers by providing holistic solutions that have been designed keeping the driver in mind. Present at the launch were senior officials from Tata Motors and IOCL along with channel partners, sales and service team, and more than 70 drivers in attendance.
Indian Oil Corporation operates a chain of flagship retail outlets where facilities like secured parking with CCTV, restaurant, rest areas, open bathing facilities, Wi-Fi, TV, self-cooking and launderette apart from other basic amenities like clean toilets, drinking water, etc., are provided. These are comprehensively designed as an end-to-end solution for the ‘saarthis’, i.e., the CV drivers. Tata Motors is now partnering with IOCL by operating the facilities as Saarthi Aaram Kendra with offerings of on-site vehicle servicing and medical aid to drivers.
This is a step forward in recognising the efforts of commercial vehicle drivers by providing them access to state-of-the-art amenities on the go. The facility at Narsapura is expected to benefit over 100 drivers daily.
Commenting on the initiative, Rajesh Kaul, Vice President – Marketing and Sales, CVBU, Tata Motors Ltd., said: “At Tata Motors we recognise that over 50% of the country’s freight is transported through roads and that commercial vehicle drivers form the backbone of the Indian economy.”
“The Saarthi Aaram Kendra initiative takes cognizance of this fact and aims to offer an environment wherein CV drivers will easily have access to their basic needs. This, in turn, will help them de-stress after long journeys and thereby improve their overall efficiency. We are glad to associate with Indian Oil Corporation for this initiative in bringing comfort and safety to the drivers,” he added.
Subrat Kar, CGM (RS), HO, Indian Oil Corporation, expressed his views on the Saarthi Aaram Kendra, and said: “Indian Oil Corporation and Tata Motors have come together for various business tie-ups in the past and this second Saarthi Aaram Kendra after the one at Bawal on NH8 will further improve goodwill towards the driver community.”
“Indian Oil Corporation has always pioneered in taking various driver-centric initiatives at most of its highway retail outlets. Saarthi Aaram Kendra advocates core values of IOCL as well as TML. It is a unique initiative that caters to the needs of commercial vehicle drivers with the aim of celebrating the unsung heroes of the country,” he added. The Saarthi Aaram Kendra initiative is a part of a larger driver welfare program that Tata Motors runs and also includes the ‘Tata Motors Samarth’ initiative, which covers areas like accidental insurance, hospitalisation cover, financial counselling and educational assistance packages for their children, in order to achieve economic, social and health wellbeing of the drivers and their families.
Along the same lines, Indian Oil Corporation through its large-format ROs and ‘Sarai’ has ensured comfort to long-distance drivers. Regular eye check-ups under the name ‘Ujala’, training on safe driving practices, and the distribution of driver kits are some of the other initiatives Indian Oil Corporation has taken up for the welfare of drivers.
The first-of-its-kind Saarthi Aaram Kendra initiative was inaugurated by Vigyan Kumar, ED (RS), HO, IOCL, and Girish Wagh, President – CVBU, Tata Motors, in May this year, at IOCL’s facility on NH8 at Bawal, Haryana. Today, the initiative services over 50 drivers daily. Furthermore, Tata Motors and IOCL plan to set up more facilities along the major national highways to serve the needs of more commercial vehicle drivers in times to come.