BMTC to run 1,500 electric buses if transport staff go ahead with strike on August 5

BENGALURU: A crisis is brewing between transport corporation employees and the government in Karnataka, with the transport staff going on an indefinite strike from August 5, demanding various concessions, including wage revision.

The High Court asked the transport corporations to postpone strike for the time being. The strike is expected to see the participation of around 1.2 lakh transport employees and 15,000 buses, including 7,000 BMTC buses and 8,000 KSRTC buses.

The government has announced plans to deploy 40 pc of the 32,000 private vehicles in Bengaluru to minimise the impact on the public. The BMTC has also come up with a plan to operate its electric buses. The BMTC currently has more than 1,500 electric buses, and the e-buses are being operated on a cost-sharing basis. These buses are leased from a private company and are being operated in the city on a contract basis.

The government is facing a significant challenge in meeting the demands of the transport employees, with the four corporations having a total of 1.15 lakh employees and a backlog of Rs 18,000 crore in payments. Meeting the demands for salary increase would add an additional burden of Rs 14,000 crore, bringing the total to around Rs 4,000 crore.

A meeting is ongoing under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, with the transport minister and various transport unions attending. However, sources indicate that the meeting may not yield any positive results and the strike may continue. If the strike goes ahead, it is likely to cause significant inconvenience to the public.

The protest rally led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, scheduled to be held at Freedom Park, has been postponed to August 8, announced Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. The protest was planned for August 5 to oppose the Election Commisssion’s alleged electoral malpractices. However, due to the funeral of former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren, which Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will attend, the rally has been rescheduled.

Randeep Surjewala, speaking at a press conference in the city, confirmed the postponement, stating that the opposition leaders’ presence at the funeral necessitated the change in plans. The rally will now take place on August 8.