Buses, rickshaw unions back transport strike in Bangalore, cabbies undecided

Buses and auto-rickshaws are expected to remain off the roads in Karnataka on Thursday April 30 as KSRTC, BMTC and auto rickshaw labor unions join the strike against the Road Transport and Safety Bill (RTS). Private taxi operators who have expressed support for the strike, however, remained undecided on actual participation.

The mid-week protest by transport unions will bring cities like Bangalore that rely on public transportation in a big way to a halt, a senior state transport official said. “We have told the transport unions that we support their cause and have promised to represent their concerns both before the state and centre government over increases in the penalty and prosecution for road offences. But boycotting services is not the solution as it hurts the public at large. We have warned them that they will incur a loss of pay,” KSRTC Managing Director Rajender Kumar Kataria said. As many as one lakh employees of the BMTC, KSRTC, NEKRTC AND NWKRTC will take part in the protest and close to 24000 state buses are expeted to remain off road through the day.

Auto-rickshaw unions are supporting the strike claiming that the RTS imposes stringent measures – such as suspension of licences and restrictions on permit renewals for traffic offences – which could cause uncertainty to their lives as they are dependent on daily wages. “If the existing rules under Motor Vehicles Act is properly implemented most of the traffic offences can be curbed. But the enforcement agencies and the government refuse to see our point of view. Innocent and law abiding motorists are made to pay for the mistakes of a few,” Arasu, president of an autorickshaw drivers’ association said.

Private taxi-operators on the other hand have remained undecided on the agitation and claim that they might continue to ply. “We have met government officials several times and most of our concerns have been addressed. The RTS law itself has been revised thrice. We will decide on our action plan as per the directions of the All India Transport Congress,” Radhakrishna Holla. president of the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association said.