Employees of all the four road transport corporations in Karnataka began their indefinite strike on Tuesday morning, leaving thosands of daily passengers in the lurch.
The employees’ union of KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC decided to go ahead with the strike even as the Karnataka High Court on Monday issued an interim stay against their agitations.
Hundreds of buses went off the road in Bengaluru and other major cities, leaving passengers stranded and struggling to find alternate ways to reach their destinations.
According to reports, private bus operators and cab aggregators allegedly made a killing as a result of the strike as passengers turned to them to reach their destinations. Passengers are also complaining that autorickshaw drivers were charging exorbitant fares in cities like Bengaluru.
However, a few buses were seen operating, especially in rural areas, as some staff chose not to participate in the strike. According to a PTI report, the transport corporations have roped in trainee bus drivers to manage the situation.
Heavy passenger rush was visible in cities like Chikkamagaluru, Raichur, Chitradurga, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Mangaluru and Mysuru in the early morning, but most of them had to look for alternate ways to reach their destinations in time.
The employees’ union called for the strike raising several demands including a wage revision. They are firm that their 38 months of arrears be paid and a salary hike from January 1, 2024 implemented.
On Monday, the talks held between the union representatives and Chief minister Siddaramaiah failed to make any breakthrough.
The high court, while giving the interim stay to the agitation, observed that the people are likely to be put to hardship if the entire public transport operation is stalled.
