BY MENGESHA AMARE
Thinking of economic growth through enhancing production and productivity has a direct bearing to employees support and empowerment. This dynamism calls for a combined effort of all sectors contributing to the overall socio-economic development of the country.
Of the various factors contributing a lot to economic development and easing doing business, facilitating conditions for workers, who are at the front line in meeting the targets the nation has set, has to receive special attention.
Though a number of citizens in the world of work especially the civil servant have encountered a number of social, economic and political problems, the issue of transportation had recently remained a daunting challenge. This unbearable hurdle had inked unmentionable spots on the board of economic trajectory.
As a result of the expanded development move witnessed by the nation, citizens’ demand for transportation from place to place especially to and from working places has been swelling.
Cognizant of the fact that lack of transportation had caused dual hindrance, [decreases employees productivity and dwindles their psychological readiness and diligence for work], on the economic development of the nation, especially in the city of Addis Ababa, the government devised a lucrative scheme and got Public Service Employees Transport Service functional. This has become the lasting solution to the multifaceted problems the civil service operators had been facing earlier due to lack of transportation.
Officially established by the council of ministers in a Proclamation No. 298/2006 in 2013 with an initial capital of One Billion Birr, Public Service Employees Transport Service Enterprise (PSETSE), started transportation service in 2014 using over 50 buses, which are locally assembled, with a view to rendering freetransportation service for civil servants across Addis Ababa.
The free transport service for civil servants is part of the package the government is giving to its employees. The service is being provided to employees through dividing into three sorts: workers coming from the outskirts of Addis Ababa such as Sendafa are given a yellow identification card, those who reside under the circumference of the city with white ones and the federal organizations’ employees with pink/rose ID.
This writer approached Netsanet Alemu (name changed) a janitor at a certain sector office, to listen to her heart beat about the service being delivered and its economic significance. She said, “Hadn’t it been the case of this service with which we all here have been provided, almost all of us, especially employees like me, wouldn’t have been in a position to lead life, let alone administering family using a meager salary. To what fertile mind was this sacred deed born? Thanks to the government forever for providing people with such a worthwhile means.”
Yes, the service has accounted for almost eight years since it was commenced. Those who are paid a measly salary can easily arrive at work and discharge all their responsibilities as effectively and timely as possible in their respective organizations, companies and enterprises thereby promoting production and productivity.
It is also undeniable fact that the civil servant has long been suffering from a range of transportation problems especially during rush hours, referring to the time to go office and back home upon work completion.
Even though civil servants are eager to discharge their respective responsibilities arriving at office on time, they could hardly do it earlier due to the severe transportation ups and downs.
“Some are heard of saying this is the least the government can do for employees considering the service as a dime a dozen and a minor scheme as well. However, this is an absolutely wrong perception.
Honestly speaking, no one obliges the government to arrange such a promising move benefiting its employees; instead they can put employees in a stringent situation and take administrative measures accordingly whenever the latter infringes any point in the form holding job description upon employment. That is up to the worker to happen on time and the carry out activities for which they are responsible,” she said.
Actually, said Netsanet, facilitating such a beneficial project bears dual advantage: enables the government itself to get activities at all levels accomplished and helps workers free from the trauma stemmed from stress growing as a result of lack of transportation. However, it could by means be compulsory for the government to do so as many of the employees are a living proof passing a number of years in hustle and bustle scenarios in due course of arriving at workplace.
“Apart from the psychological harm being late for work imposes on employees, the complaints forwarded from customers seeking our service coming for remote areas totally damages the revenue the nation can potentially earn and the rate of satisfaction the service provider can garner out properly serving citizenry,’’ she said.
Yohannes Hagos is a supervisor working for Arada Sub-city. He said that public service transportation is a form of travel offered locally that enables more people to travel together along designated routes.
The service being provided for civil servants can be taken as an incomparable incentive to further motivate all to work for a better production and outcome. This integrated transport planning to meet the dire need of the civil servant for transportations is a timely and encouraging move to bring about change in all aspects.
He said, “Whenever I put myself in persons’ shoe who are leading relatively low life level than I am, I always feel the pain and start thinking in what mechanism and how would have I withstood the high cost of living coupled with lack of transportation these days hadn’t I had the opportunity to enjoy traveling in such a prime gift?”
According to Yohannes, though the process requires the imposition of a firmer strategic framework over system administration, including traffic management, parking policies, public transport regulation and the likes, the public service employees transport service is well run and satisfying users.
The service users sometimes do not pay due attention to the scheme as some consider it a trivial step, he said adding that but they are expected to well acknowledge it as he nation incurs to help them, from its meager revenue, lead the safest life possible at least in terms of transportation, and we all should know how to distinguish between good and bad at a wider context.
As to Yoahnnes, all Ethiopians have to develop an adequate appraisal instrument to acknowledge the good deeds granted for others let alone the one out of which they themselves are widely benefiting.
Yohannes also reminded that providing drivers with credits and well acknowledging their contributions to safety and social wellbeing has to be a culture in our country. For instance, he said, “The government once awarded drivers who have been exemplary in safely driving and not causing any sort of property damage and loss of life. This should really be what is expected of Ethiopians. This is also an auspicious step to further make the Public Service Employees Transport Service much more productive.”
As to him, nothing is safer and weighty than having a transport from the place the user waits for and running activities under the time interval nationally framed to run activities and deal with duties as per the set institutional goal.
Asked about the challenges he has so far encountered, Yohannes said, perhaps some have faced safety challenges when they try to get seated journeying at around twenty five to six nearing dawn. This could also be addressed by modifying the time when people go to clutch the buses.
Let me exhort my case citing what Yohannes put as a concluding remark, “PSETSE has to be provided with audacious credit as it has been easing the burden of a number of civil servants and employees. A range of mechanisms have also to be employed to expand public service employees’ transportation devising public transportation-oriented development. Surely, its contribution to economic development and social safety is worth mentioning.”
The Ethiopian Herald April 27/2021
