The day-long strike by employees of PMPML on Thursday put commuters under great stress. With no buses available, they had little choice but to hire autorickshaws or private vehicles, paying many times more.
The day-long strike by employees of PMPML on Thursday put commuters under great stress. With no buses available, they had little choice but to hire autorickshaws or private vehicles, paying many times more.
Schoolchildren and office-goers, many of whom were unaware of the strike, waited at bus stops for a bus. Yogesh Shirode at Vishrantwadi bus stand said, “I have to hire an autorickshaw to go to the Pune Municipal Corporation. I was not aware of the strike. Travelling by bus would have cost me just Rs10, but now I have to pay Rs70.”
A standard X student of a Pimpri-based school, Chaitali Sonawane, could not attend school. “It was no fault of mine that I could not attend classes. With examinations approaching, I am really tense,” she added.
Thousands of daily commuters had to bear the brunt of the strike, as they had to cough up more to reach their destinations.
People arriving at the Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSRTC) termini in Shivajinagar and Pune railway station frantically looked around for a PMPML bus to reach their destinations. A senior citizen, Anil Dhotke, who arrived from Aurangabad in Shivajinagar, said that he did not have any clue that PMPML buses were off road.
“I have to go all the way till Pimple Gurav by an auto. I would have to pay at least thrice the amount that I pay for the bus fare,” said Dhotke.
Another senior citizen, Bhagwan Ghobare, got down from an MSRTC bus in Shivajinagar from Beed. He had to go to Swargate to board another bus to Satara. “The auto driver is demanding Rs30 to take me to Swargate, in his rickshaw crammed with passengers. They are fleecing us,” he said.
A family alighted at the railway station carrying luggage started looking for a PMPML bus. But when told about the strike, the family members got so upset that they refused to speak on the issue.
Jamila Sheikh, a lady who came from Manchar, complained that several auto drivers refused to ply by meter.
Raj Barasagade, a regular bus commuter, who landed from Nagpur was clueless about the strike. “I have come here for an interview in Tata Motors. Auto men are charging arbitrary fares,” said Raj.
Sujata Garade, a student of Raja Shree Shivaraya Pratishthan, came back from her hometown Kedgaon and was disturbed due to the strike.
“I am a student and cannot afford an autorickshaw. Today, they are charging more. These strikes cause a lot of inconvenience,” said Sujata. Sagar Khandale, a Sinhgad College student, dragging his luggage as he could not find a bus to Swargate. “I am really upset. The auto men are charging high and are not co-operating,” he said.
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