BENGALURU: State transport corporation buses would stay off the roads on Tuesday and Wednesday, putting lakhs of passengers in trouble, in support of the general strike called by central trade unions and against the new Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2017. Employee unions have given their support for the strike, and operations are likely to be hit on both days.

However, private buses, taxis, goods and heavy vehicles will ply as usual, and are extending only moral support to the bandh. In Bengaluru, 50 per cent (around 70,000) of the total 1.50 lakh autorickshaw drivers will not work on the two days, as one of the two large auto drivers’ unions, the Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU), has extended its support for the strike.

A meeting of various trade unions was convened in the city on Sunday to decide on the strike. While the KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation called for a bandh and extended complete support to the strike, organisations such as the Adarsha Auto Union, Bangalore Tourist and Taxi Operators’ Association, Ola, TaxiForSure, Uber Drivers and Owners’ Association and others extended only moral support, and decided to run their services as usual.

GR Shanmugappa, general secretary of the South India Motor Transport Association, said that they have also given only moral support to the strike. “Goods and heavy transport vehicles will run across the country as usual, as the strike call was given at short notice. However, we will have an indefinite protest against the state government next week, against increasing taxes on diesel.”

AITUC leader and KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation general secretary HV Anantha Subbarao said that KSRTC and city buses will be off the roads from 6am Tuesday till 6pm Wednesday.Chief Traffic Manager (Operations) of BMTC, Vishwanath, said the drivers’ union had given a notice about the strike, but the agency will get a clear picture only by Monday.However, Metro services will be available as usual in Bengaluru.