Guest workers stage protest after authorities stop jam-packed bus

Coimbatore: Hundreds of guest workers staged a protest at the Omni Bus Stand at Gandhipuram on Sunday afternoon, demanding buses to their hometowns.
Many private bus operators accommodated as many as 150 guest workers in a bus and charged Rs 4,000 for a trip to Bihar from Coimbatore, regional transport office sources said.
“We seized six omni buses for failing to pay taxes till Saturday. Four buses were seized for the violation on Sunday. Most of them have Puducherry registration. Some guest workers functioning as agents had brought the buses to Coimbatore. The operators have to get permits and pay tax to the Tamil Nadu government,” said an official. “We found 160 guest workers in an omni bus, which was stopped near the women’s polytechnic on Saturday night. As per rules, an omni bus can carry maximum 40 passengers. The bus was seized and the guest workers were sent to their workplaces here. On Sunday around 1pm, an omni bus was found with more than 100 guest workers. The bus operator instigated the guest workers, who were assembled at the omni bus stand, to stage a protest demanding transport arrangements to their hometowns,” the official added.
RTO officials, revenue department officials and police pacified the workers. Subsequently, an omni bus carrying 40 guest workers left for Kolkata from Gandhipuram on Sunday evening.