The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Private bus strike leaves commuters stranded

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Private bus strike leaves commuters stranded

By Our Staff Correspondent

Private bus owners in Mysore district protest, seeking to increase bus fares in due to an increase in fuel prices.

MYSORE, AUG. 1 0. Commuters in the district were put to hardship today as private buses stayed off the road in view of the Statewide strike called by the private bus owners' association, seeking an increase in bus fares.

Contending that an increase in the fares had become inevitable for their financial viability due to the frequent increase in the diesel price, the private bus owners took out a protest march from Anjaneya Swamy Temple, near the Mysore Palace, to the Deputy Commissioner's office, to highlight their problems.

They later submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, G. Kumar Naik.

Commuters stranded

The cancellation of private bus services, estimated at more than 300 in the district, and ferrying about 50,000 commuters daily, caused hardship to several people, particularly from villages.

Commuters, who use private buses to transport vegetables and other agricultural produce, were forced to rely on Tempos, lorries, and taxis. However, commuters travelling to T. Narsipur, Malavalli, KRS, Kollegal, and Chamarajanagar were the worst affected.

The vice-president of Mysore District Private Bus Owners' Association, Shivalingu, told The Hindu that the bus owners had urged the State Government to increase the ceiling on bus fares for private bus owners, from the existing 45 paise for every kilometre to 60 paise. "The existing rates, which vary from 40 paise to 45 paise for every kilometre, is inadequate to run the bus service.

Apart from the diesel cost, bus owners have additional expenditure such as road tax and insurance. It has become very difficult for private bus owners to operate under the present circumstances," Mr. Shivalingu said. The deplorable roads increased the wear and tear on tyres, forcing retreading or replacement. "Each tyre costs Rs. 6,000, while the cost of retreading them is Rs. 1,500," Mr. Madan said.

"They halt the bus each time somebody on the road waves to stop the bus and fill the bus to capacity," said Lakshmikantha, a regular private bus commuter, who was forced to take a Tempo to Kollegal today.

Private buses allowed more than the allowed number of passengers to board the bus.

Rash driving not only endangered the lives of the people on the road, but also the passengers, some commuters complained.

Arrangements

Our Chitradurga Staff Correspondent reports:

The district administration had made alternative arrangements to help the rural people in view of the "bandh" call given by the private bus owners.

A few Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses operated on some rural routes. Care was taken to help the ailing and pregnant women.

Memorandum

Our Chamarajanagar Staff Correspondent reports:

The office bearers of the Chamarajanagar Bus Owners' Association took out a protest march here today and submitted the memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. The rural areas in Chamarajanagar have a large number of private bus services than the KSRTC.

Inconvenience

Our Shimoga Special Correspondent reports:

The "bandh" caused inconvenience to commuters in Shimoga district, which is largely served by private buses. The city buses too went off the road in response to the "bandh" call.

As many as 460 private bus owners responded to the "bandh" call in the district. The KSRTC pressed some buses into service in areas such as Shikaripur, Tirthahalli, Hosnagar and Sagar. Several programmes were put off in view of the "bandh".

Colleges closed

Our Udupi Staff Correspondent reports:

Private buses did not operate in Udupi district on Tuesday in response to the "bandh'' call, which was supported by the Udupi (Private) City Bus Owners Association. As the authorities had taken precautionary measures, some government buses operated between Udupi and Mangalore. Most of the colleges remained closed. But business establishments functioned as usual.

Rs. 3 cr. loss

Our Mangalore Staff Correspondent reports:

The President of the State Federation of Private Transporters, Rajavarma Ballal, told The Hindu that more than 7,500 private buses did not operate in the State in response to the "bandh" call. He said the loss today was put at Rs. 3 crores.

The Divisional Traffic Office of the KSRTC said the corporation operated all its schedules. It also operated an additional fleet of 20 buses.

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