Statewide MSRTC strike called off after state govt announces salary hike

A statement from the CM office said the hike of Rs 6,500 in basic salary will be effective from April 2020.

Earlier, as the strike entered its second day on Wednesday, private buses in Pune increased fares, charging almost 50 per cent more from passengers. The surge in price came at a time when passengers ranging from students to workers were traveling back to their hometowns from Pune, with the Ganesh festival on September 7.

According to MSRTC officials, the second day of the strike crippled bus services in the Pune division. A passenger, a regular traveller from Pune to Pathri, who was waiting near Sancheti Hospital, said that the fare he pays for AC buses, which are usually around Rs 700, had doubled to Rs 1,600. “For non-AC buses, the fares increased from Rs 600 to Rs 1,400,” he said.

Karan Damble, a student in Pune from Satara, said that he booked a ticket two days ago, which cost him double the usual price of Rs 600. “The regular ticket costs Rs 300 from Pune to Satara. This was sheer exploitation of passengers,” he said.

The Indian Express called various travel agencies based in Pune and found that private bus agencies too were charging double the regular fares, citing the seasonal impact on prices. Additionally, a shortage of MSRTC buses in Pune following the strike, which commenced on September 3, worsened the situation.

The strike, called by 11 trade unions across the state, demanded equal pay for drivers and conductors on par with state government employees of the same grade, among other grievances.

Although the number of completely shut depots in Maharashtra increased from 63 on Tuesday to 96 on the second day, Pune division’s operations were not completely halted, yet the overall impact of the strike increased by 10 per cent compared to the previous day.

According to MSRTC Divisional Controller Pramod Nehul, three bus depots that were entirely shut on Tuesday were partially opened on Wednesday while a couple of depots such as Shirur and Daund were fully operational.

Deputy RTO Swapnil Bhosle said they hadn’t received any reports of increased charges, but if passengers come to them with complaints or if the RTO finds private players had hiked prices beyond regulations, they will take strict actions against them.

With inputs from Mumbai