All private commercial vehicles will cease services as The Federation of the Karnataka State Private Transport Association has called for a ‘Bengaluru bandh’ on September 11.
The federation represents 32 transport unions, including autorickshaws, buses and taxis. With the bandh likely to cause inconvenience, some private schools in the city have declared a holiday. As per reports, the State government transport body BMTC is planning to deploy extra busses for city commuters.
This call for the strike is to register the federations protest after the State transport department failed to fulfil their 28 demands by August 31. As per the reports, the federation had asked for a total ban on app-based aggregators, financial assistance of ₹10,000 for each driver, loans with low-interest rates, scholarships for the kids of drivers, a ban on bike taxis, among other demands.
Hit by Shakti scheme
Private transportation players have been asserting that they are being seriously affected by the Shakti scheme, which provides free bus travel for women in Karnataka. Free transportation for women under the Shakti scheme was one of the five poll promises made by the Congress government.
The federation has been hollering for help from the government in the past couple of months. They had met with the transport minister Ramalinga Reddy and requested that private buses be added to the Shakti program and compensated for their losses.
Bengaluru is set for a major inconvenience tomorrow will all the private vehicles off the road. Airport cabs, cab aggregators and private cab service providers for corporate offices are also likely to participate in the strike.
However, emergency service-related vehicles ambulances, pharma vehicles and crucial goods carrying vehicles will continue to function. Public transport including the BMTC buses and metro trains will also be operational.