The sudden strike by Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation employees across the State since Thursday evening, following failure of talks - on wage revision and clearance of pending dues - with Transport minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar, affected bus services in Madurai district to a large extent since around 6 p.m.
G. Rajendran, a TNSTC employee, associated with Centre of Trade Unions (CITU), said that all the buses that reached Periyar bus stand, MGR bus terminus and Arappalayam bus stand, did not ply again on raods and were instead taken to the bus depots.
He said that since the demands made by the TNSTC were long-pending issues that affected all the employees, those associated with the ruling party trade union also supported the strike.
He added that long distance buses, which were on the road, would also return to the depots once they reach their respective destinations.
A large number of passengers were stranded in Periyar and Mattuthavani bus stands since evening.
As of Thursday night, sources with the Madurai district police estimated that around 60% of the buses had returned to the depots while Madurai City police said that around 35 % of the buses had returned to the depots in its its limits.
Police sources said that there were no untoward incidents.
