BMTC strike: Commuters preferred to walk, than be at auto drivers’ mercy

The almost total BMTC strike had a double impact on the city on Thursday. First, commuters had a tough time making it to their destinations. Second, contrary to expectation that with buses off the roads there would be less traffic, there was in fact considerably denser traffic and snarls at many places, with more private vehicles hitting the road.

In the absence of the most popular public transport in Bangalore, commuters in many parts of the city were seen preferring to take a chance of walking to their destinations than fall victim to the greed of autorickshaw drivers, who had a field day.

Mohan Krishna, an accounts executive with an ad firm, had set out in the morning to drop his daughter to a town-side school. But he was in for a shock. He had expected a low traffic, but was taken aback by the density of 8 am traffic.

“I had expected the roads to be empty due to BMTC strike. But I had not expected that in the absence of the buses people would take out their private vehicles, and so there was heavy traffic even before the peak hours began,” he said.

The scenes at the schools in the morning hours presented harried parents rushing to drop their wards and hurry to work, knowing well that they would have to seek permission from their bosses to take at least an hour’s break later in the afternoon to pick the kids from school. This only added to the afternoon traffic volume, as on normal days these vehicles would have remained parked on office premises.

Shiny Andrews, a receptionist at a multinational bank and staying near Hebbal, had no idea about the BMTC strike. “I waited at the bus stop for almost an hour without suspecting anything. Only then did I feel that something was amiss. When I called my office to inform that I was late, they told me about the strike.

“I tried to hail an autorickshaw, but the driver said I would have to pay double fare, which I refused. Instead, I walked till Mekhri Circle from where a colleague, whom I had informed, picked me up,” she said, adding that she was a good 90 minutes late for work.
Several residents, who do not own private vehicles, preferred to walk instead of availing an autorickshaw, knowing well that they may get fleeced.

Like Andrews, there were many others who had no clue about the strike or those who decided to believe the Transport minister R Ashoka’s assurance. “I thought since the minister had said there would be buses, it will be the case. I have never experienced a strike so complete before. While going to college in the morning I had to wait for over 45 minutes, before I finally called a friend to pick me up. Now I am hoping that a private cab comes by and I can go home,” said Chaithra M, a teacher.