KSRTC employees’ strike: Several commuters turn to private buses in Shivamogga, many cancel plans

The strike of KSRTC employees received a mixed response in Shivamogga on Tuesday. Although the employees did not take office, KSRTC officials operated several buses deploying trainee personnel.

Without any information about the strike, passengers who reached the bus posture in the morning were shocked. Most of them moved to the private bus stop, several returned home and canceled their travel plans for the day. The joint action committee of the employees (JAC) decided to call the strike and brought relief to the passengers.

Since the officers of the institution, regular employees were on strike, they managed to manage the buses from Shivamogga to Taluk centers by assigning intern drivers and chiefs.

The passengers had service to the Taluk centers – Sagar, Bhadravathi and Honnali and several centers. However, there was no service to Bengaluru. Passengers were dependent on private buses to reach the capital. Those who plan to travel to the coastal area preferred private buses.

Mahadevu, the office carrier of KSRTC Employees Association, said that 1.15 Lakh employee throughout the state is on strike. However, civil servants forcibly put the trainee staff to work. “We want civil servants to stop the pressurization. If any employee is willing to drive, let them voluntarily do it,” he said.

In the meantime, KSRTC (Shivamogga) department controller TR Naveen Kumar, civil servants did not force any staff, he said. Officer, “Some drivers and chefs came to the fore to work voluntarily. We hope that employees will return to duty,” he said.