Bengaluru, Aug 5 || After the employees' union of the state-owned transport corporations decided to go on an indefinite strike, bus services across Karnataka were severely affected on Tuesday, causing major inconvenience to passengers.
Most RTC staffers did not report for duty in support of the strike. The staffers have been demanding the fulfilment of their various demands, including salary revision.
Despite a High Court order against the strike and the state government's implementation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), only 10 per cent of employees turned up for work.
RTC services were disrupted across all district headquarters, especially in Bengaluru and northern Karnataka districts. Authorities deployed private buses as an alternative arrangement. However, women passengers had to pay for the service, unlike in government-run buses, where they are entitled to free travel.
Many passengers arriving in Bengaluru from other states and relying on RTC buses to reach their destinations were stranded at the Majestic bus stand. Services of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) were also hit. However, authorities ensured that buses operated from Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) to various parts of the city.