Karnataka transport federation calls off bandh on minister’s assurance

BENGALURU: The Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations called off its Bengaluru bandh on Monday afternoon after Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy assured that 27 of its 30 demands will be fulfilled. With his assurance, autorickshaws, cabs and private buses were back on the road.

However, Nataraj Sharma, nominated president of the federation, said the state government must give a written undertaking on Tuesday that it will fulfil the 27 demands as assured by the transport minister or else, the federation will launch a hunger strike from Wednesday.

Addressing protesters at Freedom Park, Reddy said, “Steps will be taken to fulfil most of the demands of the federation. The government will establish a welfare board for drivers. It will also open an Indira canteen at Kempegowda International Airport for them.

Senior advocates will be roped in to fight the cases against app-based ride-hailing aggregators and bike-taxi operators who have got a stay which is stopping the Transport Department from acting against them.” The minister said that he will hold talks with Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan on the demand for a housing scheme for drivers.

Speaking to TNIE, Nataraj Sharma said, “Of the 30 demands, the transport minister has assured to fulfil 27. A decision on other three demands — to reimburse costs of women passengers in private buses under the Shakti scheme, providing monthly compensation to auto drivers and tax concession to private buses — will have to be taken by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.”

Thousands of people, who depend on private transport for their commute, were inconvenienced as autos, cabs and private buses remained off the road from Sunday midnight in view of the bandh called by the federation.

People who landed at Kranti Veera Sangolli Rayanna railway station, Yeshwanthpur railway station, Kempegowda bus stand and Kempegowda International Airport had to depend on state-run BMTC buses and Metro rail to reach their respective destinations.

Despite the bandh, a few autos and cabs were seen operating on Monday morning, defying the risk of being targeted. In fact, there were a few cases of assaults on such auto and cab drivers in Bengaluru. Taking advantage of the bandh, many autorickshaws and cab drivers fleeced the helpless commuters. School and college students, whose institutions had not declared a holiday, also faced hardships. Many schools, however, declared a holiday, fearing inconvenience to students and their parents.