Transport strike: With no buses, mobility hits pause

BENGALURU: Passengers bore the brunt of the strike by employees of state-run transport corporations, with bus services being disrupted across the state for the second day. In the state capital, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation services were completely halted whereas the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operated 50 per cent of its schedules and other transport corporations operated only about 35 per cent of schedules on Friday.

Many commuters, including students, were stranded at the Kempegowda bus station and other bus terminals in Bengaluru. Passengers heading out from Bengaluru too were stuck.

The agitation was by and large peaceful barring a few incidents of stone-throwing on government buses at Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Kalaburagi, Shivamogga and Channapatna.A majority of long-distance buses starting from Mysuru had to cut short their trips or terminate the services. However, city bus services were unaffected.

Passengers headed to Bengaluru, Mandya and Shivamogga from Tumakuru were left with no option but to crowd the few private buses that were operating. In Kolar, people had to depend on autorickshaws and taxis. Bus services in Chikkaballapur and Hassan districts were also affected during the day.

In Shivamogga, buses plied till 10 am, but services were suspended after miscreants pelted stones at a bus near Machenahalli. While services were stopped in Kalaburagi after 11 am, they were resumed after 4.30 pm. A bus that was on its way to Kalaburagi from Ganagapur was stoned near the Kalaburagi Bench of the High Court, leaving the driver with minor injuries.