An indefinite strike by over a lakh employees of the four State-run road transport corporations which commenced on Monday seeking wage hike has paralysed the entire State. Though the State Government declared a two-day holiday for schools and colleges from Monday to spare students from the fallout, thousands of commuters were stranded in cities and towns as alternative service by private operators was woefully adequate to ferry them.
Bengaluru, the Information Technology capital was worst hit even as many schools and colleges declared holiday owing to the bus strike. It was a common scene that the commuters especially tourists were struggling to reach destinations.
According to police sources more than 120 buses, including 65 in Bengaluru were damaged in stone-throwing incidents after drivers of other unions brought them out of depots after the State Government warned them of stringent action, as the Supreme Court had banned such strikes in public interest.
According to transport corporation officials around 23,000 buses of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and its affiliated agencies in northwest and northeast regions are staying off the roads due to the strike.
CM Siddaramaiah called upon the leaders of the KSRTC workers’ unions to call off the strike and return to negotiations on wage revision.
He said “public transport system is the lifeline of commuters, especially students, working class and labour force who cannot afford personal vehicles. The State Government had offered a 10 per cent hike to the KSRTC employees, keeping in view the economic viability of the corporation and its agencies. We are ready to discuss their other demands if they call off the strike and come to us for talks”.
Meanwhile, Bangalore Metropolitan Rail Transport Corporation ltd has been operating metro services every five minutes since 5 am. on the east-west corridor between the eastern and western suburbs to ferry commuters who are dependent on public transport. Even South Western Railway is running more local trains on the suburban routes to facilitate people who commute in and around the city.