BMTC strike near total as employees stay away

The indefinite statewide strike called by five unions of the BMTC, KSRTC, NWKSRTC and NEKSRTC was complete on Thursday with over 90% of the buses staying off the roads. Although government estimates claimed that 550 buses operated, less than 200 buses from the BMTC’s 6,200 strong fleet actually operated.

Major roads in KR Puram, Whitefield, HSR Layout, Koramangala, Silk Board, Indiranagar, Richmond Road were conspicuous by the absence of BMTC buses. While the Ring Roads wore deserted look, the core of the city was chaotic with most commuters using private vehicles to commute to work. Traffic jams began as early as 8am. The depots on the other hand were packed with parked buses. Long lines of buses were seen on depot premises and also on the nearby roads.

According to drivers and conductors hanging around at bus depots, a number of employees were themselves unable to come to work, because of the strike.

Drivers who had returned from the night halt shift (12 noon on Wednesday to 12 noon on Thursday) refused to do a second shift. The depot managers tried to make them work by refusing to take the bus or the collection made by them. However, this tactic failed with drivers deciding to stay outside the depot and took a day off.

According to bus drivers who spoke to DNA, some of them had attempted to take their vehicles out, but decided not to do so after they heard about incidents of stone throwing in parts of the city.
Some drivers said, “If we do take the buses out and miscreants do something, it will damage the bus. Then we will be asked to pay if the glass is broken. That is what usually happens. We are safer here. But if we do not take the buses out then the management is going to punish us. Either way we are in trouble.”

The Majestic bus station, perhaps for the first time in a decade wore a peaceful, although not quite a deserted look. The few buses that plied (less than 10% of the buses according traffic inspectors at the KBS) were asked to go along major routes that saw a lot of traffic.

Spare drivers put to use
With most regular employees staying off work, the BMTC were forced to use the services of spare drivers. With hardly any drivers or conductors turning up for work, these drivers had to operate buses and even double up as conductors.

Moinudeen S, a spare drive from Shanthinagar depot, told DNA that when he went to the depot, he was asked to operate services from Electronic City to Majestic.

According to Moinudeen, depot managers told him that it didn’t matter that he was not in uniform or that he didn’t have a conductor. “They said they just wanted a bus on the road and it didn’t really matter whether I was in uniform or not. When I hesitated and told them that there may be problems on the way, I was told that if anything happens, the depot manager would take responsibility,” he said.

He said that another driver, who was also asked to take a bus along another route, had never worked as a conductor and had to be explained about the various stages and the price of tickets at each stage.

Senior BMTC officials said that with nobody willing to work, depot managers had to put anyone, who was willing to operate the buses, to work. “It didn’t matter that there were no uniforms or that they didn’t know how to issue tickets, all we wanted was a bus on the street and some relief to commuters,” he said.