Too tall for duty? 6.6-ft Telangana bus conductor given alternate role after neck pain

A 6-foot-tall bus conductor was reassigned out-of-designation duty after his height made bus work physically difficult. The order has drawn attention to workplace adaptability and ergonomic support in public transport jobs.

In Short

• TGSRTC reassigned conductor Ameen Ansari due to his 198 cm height.
• Ansari faced severe neck and back pain after returning to regular duty.
• New order allows him to work in less physically demanding roles.

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has reassigned a conductor to alternative duties after his unusual height made it difficult for him to carry out regular work inside buses.

In an official order issued on May 5, from the corporation’s headquarters at Bus Bhavan in Mushirabad, Hyderabad, authorities permitted conductor Ameen Ahmed Ansari, attached to the Mehdipatnam depot, to continue working under Out of Designation (OD) duty.

Ansari, whose height is recorded at 198 centimetres (6 feet 6 inches), had earlier been assigned OD duty for a year after it was found that he was unable to comfortably perform his regular responsibilities inside RTC buses.

Conductors are required to frequently move through narrow aisles and operate in limited headroom conditions, something that was physically straining for him in his case.

However, after his initial OD duty period ended on April 28, and was not immediately extended, Ansari returned to his regular role. It was during this period that he experienced severe neck and back pain, caused by having to constantly bend while working inside the buses.

Taking note of his condition and the challenges posed by his height, TGSRTC has now reinstated his OD duty with immediate effect. As per the new directive, his services can be utilised in roles better suited to his physical comfort, such as at Bus Pass Sections or at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, depending on operational requirements.

The decision led to conversations online around workplace adaptability and employee welfare, with many pointing out how job roles, especially in public transport, are often designed with standard physical assumptions that may not suit everyone.

Several users appreciated the corporation’s move, calling it a practical example of accommodating employee needs without compromising on productivity.

At the same time, the case has also emphasised the importance of ergonomic considerations in public sector jobs, with some suggesting that infrastructure and role flexibility should evolve to better support workers with diverse physical attributes.

- Ends