Auto unions too join strike, cabs may come in handy

Stir call given by KSRTC, BMTC staff will make commuting difficult

Normal life is likely to be affected on Wednesday as buses operated by State-run transport corporations will be off roads.

The employees of the KSRTC have backed the nationwide bandh call given by 10 central trade unions to protest against the labour reforms proposed by the Centre.

The staff of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and many autorickshaw unions have extended their support to the bandh call. The BMTC buses including casual contract vehicles operated for schools and companies will not ply on Wednesday.

Talks between the management of  BMTC, KSRTC, NEKRTC, NWKRTC and the workers union were not successful and the corporations. “We have requested for security to be arranged at the depots and issued strict warnings against demonstrations being held at the depots,” said Rajender Kataria, Managing Director, KSRTC.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the State government agreed with the trade unions and employees' federation's demands on the controversial Road Safety Bill, 2014. The State had suggested certain amendments to the bill and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had incorporated some of them, he added.

Rudramurthy, Convenor of the Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union said: “The government wants to privatise a lot of processes like getting fitness certificates from companies, fixing of routes for buses and provision of licences for auto-rickshaws. We cannot trust these companies. All auto unions associated with us will not operate their vehicles on Wednesday”, he said.

Echoing similar a sentiment, Manjunath of Adarsh Auto Drivers Union said that autos would not operate from morning till evening.

Cab services, however, are expected to be normal. “The Road Transport Safety Bill 2014-15 , 4th edition is still under review. Discussions are going on. We will not participate in tomorrow’s strike,” said Radhakrishna Holla, General Secretary of the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association. Cab Aggregators like Uber and Ola are also expected to function normally.

Home Minister K J George said that he had held a meeting with senior police officials to ensure that there is no disruption of law and order during the bandh. He said that action will be taken against those found compelling citizens to participate in the protest. However, the government would not stall any peaceful protests, he added while interacting with the media on Tuesday in Bengaluru.

B’ luru on high alert

Bangalore City police commissioner N S Megharikh said that the City had been put on high alert in the wake of bandh.  He said that the deputy commissioners of police of respective jurisdictions had been instructed to ensure law and order in their limits. Anyone found trying to forcefully shut down shops will be punished in accordance to law, he said.

“Around 15 Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons will be deployed across the City. The police will have to keep an extra watch on sensitive areas,” he added.

No holiday for schools
The State government has not declared a holiday for schools or higher education institutions. The institutions can take a call on whether or not to function depending on the situation in their respective regions.

Director (Primary Education), Department of Public Instructions K Ananda said “We have written to the deputy directors of public instruction. They can take decide about the schools in their respective districts.”

Meanwhile, Bangalore University and VTU too have not declared any official holiday. “We have not got any notification from the government in this regard,” said VTU V-C H Maheshappa. Colleges have been given the choice, he added. There are no exams in progress in colleges right now, according to BU and VTU officials. However, most of the private schools in the City have declared a holiday