The bandh called by trade unions against the anti-labour policies of the Union government passed off peacefully in Udupi district on Tuesday.
In Udupi city, the bandh evoked mixed response. Private bus service connecting Udupi with Mangaluru is considered as the lifeline of the district. With the private service buses keeping off the road, there were no buses from the Service Bus Stand here to either Mangaluru or the other important towns of the district such as Karkala, Hebri, Kundapur and Byndoor.
There were no Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses either during the day. Private city buses too were off the road due to the strike call so too were the low-floor government city buses.
As a result, the KSTRTC Bus Stand, the Service Bus Stand, the Private City Bus Stand and Government City Bus Stand wore a deserted look.
The bandh hit passengers. Augustine D. Almeida, senior citizen, said that he was waiting at the KSRTC Bus Stand here since 8.30 a.m. to catch a bus to Bengaluru.
“I have a court case to attend there. But now there is no bus from here to Bengaluru,” he said.
Murali, a bangle seller, said that he wanted to return to Tirthahalli as he had completed his work here. He was not aware of the bandh. “I have been waiting here since about 6 a.m.,” he said.
A group of 18 road development workers that had come from Araria district of Bihar was waiting at the Service Bus Stand to catch a bus to Balehonnur in Chikkamagaluru district. Mohammed Altaf, one of the workers, said that the group had come by train and got off at the Udupi Railway Station here past midnight.
“We stayed at the railway station and came at the bus stand here early in the morning only to find there was a bandh. We will now have to wait till evening to catch a bus,” he said.
While some business establishments were shut down, others functioned as usual here. Autorickshaw and taxis services were unaffected by the bandh here. Petrol bunks too were open.
The district administration had declared a holiday for schools and colleges in the district on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.