Karnataka Bus Strike Day 2: Notice issued to workers as commuters continue to suffer

The second day of the strike by state road transport corporation (RTC) employees left commuters in the lurch on Thursday even as the management of the road transport corporations began issuing notices over the unauthorised absence of workers.

However, in a positive sign, about 100 RTC buses were operated by regular crew members. Accordingly, 54 buses of NEKRTC, 38 buses of KSRTC, 28 of BMTC and 14 of NEKRTC were operated by the regular crew. About 300 employees, mostly trainees, have been attending work for fear of disciplinary action. While these employees can't fill in for the 1.3 lakh on strike, officials expect more to return to work.

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The private buses and maxi cabs deployed as an alternative to BMTC saw a larger number of riders compared to the poor response on Wednesday while the Namma Metro stations witnessed more passengers during the peak hours in the morning.

KSRTC Managing Director Shivayogi C Kalasad said at least 500 buses will cater to the needs of the interstate passengers. These buses, both from corporations and private players in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, will help the commuters during the festive rush. The bus connectivity with Kerala and Maharashtra will continue to be affected due to Covid-19 restrictions.