Commuters in Karnataka can breathe a sigh of relief as the nationwide transport strike called by various organisations against certain sections of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill (2017) has not affected traffic in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.
The KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, affiliated to the AITUC, did not extend their support to the strike.
The state government-run Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Namma Metro were also operational on Tuesday.
Buses were operating as per usual in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, as well as in Belagavi and other parts of northern Karnataka. Only buses from Mangaluru to Kasargod
A protest was held by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and taxi unions in Bengaluru's Town Hall on Tuesday. The protesters marched from Town Hall to Freedom Park.
However, auto-rickshaws, buses and app-based cabs were all operating in the city. Ola and Uber cabs were seen plying in the city as per usual while government-run buses and several private buses were also operating in the state.
The news came as a relief to parents of school children who were hoping that autos and school buses will continue to ply as usual.
"A protest was held against certain sections of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2017. We believe that it will affect public transport across the country and give further freedom to private players to enter the public transport sector," says U Nagaraj, General Secretary of AITUC.
The bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha and is pending before the Rajya Sabha. If it is cleared, it promises changes including higher penalties and stricter rules, which the protesters say is unnecessary. The protestors are also against the hike in insurance premium and fuel prices.
The protestors are also raising the issue of the Bill taking away power from states. “We are against the proposed changes. The southern states have written to the Centre opposing a few proposals. We have made arrangements to ensure commuters are not troubled," Transport Minister DC Thammanna told Times of India.