BMTC, KSRTC buses to be off roads tomorrow

Bengaluru, Apr 28, 2015,(DHNS): Public transport service is likely to be hit across the country, including Bengaluru, on Thursday due to a nationwide strike called by the employees of state road transport undertakings. In some states, truckers, taxies and autorickshaw associations have also extended their support. However, the autorickshaw unions in Bengaluru are divided over joining the strike. The strike has been called in protest against the proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2014. Transport firm employees believe the new law will curtail the powers of state-owned transport corporations and will favour private bus operators. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) and North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) buses will be off the roads on Thursday. BMTC managing director Ekroop Caur and KSRTC managing director Rajender Kataria said they were in talks with the unions. “We will try to ply some services in the morning,” Caur said. “We are trying to convince the union members not to cause inconvenience to the public. We support the issues being raised by them but strike is not the solution. We will decide on the morning of April 30 after assessing the situation” Kataria said. In all, the KSRTC has 8,280 buses, NWKRTC has 4,716, NEKRTC has 4,295, while the BMTC has close to 6,600 buses. One of the largest taxi associations, the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association (BTTOA), will not participate in the agitation, said its general secretary Radhakrishna Holla. Manjunath, president, Adarsha Auto Union, said they will ply autos in Bengaluru on Thursday. Rudramurthy, convenor, Autorickshaw Drivers’ Organisations United Struggle Committee, said autos will not ply between 6 am and 6 pm. “We will gather at the Town Hall to protest against the bill,” said Rudramurthy.