Buses and lorries remained off the road on either side of the Karnataka border at Athipalli near Hosur on Saturday in the wake of a day-long bandh called by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka.
According to police sources, bus services were stopped from either side of the border at 3 a.m. This left many passengers stranded from both States. Office-goers, labourers and students were the worst affected.
Hundreds of industrial units in Hosur were affected as several employees failed to report for work. Several passengers were stranded in Hosur and Krishnagiri bus stands. Some of them, including children crossed the border on foot to avail alternative means of transport to reach their destinations.
R. Mahendran, Divisional Manager, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Salem Circle, told The Hindu that bus services were stopped fearing violence. As many as 300 buses of TNSTC (Salem), TNSTC (Villupuram) and the State Express Transport Corporation are operated from different parts of the State to Bangalore and vice versa.
Likewise, about 180 KSRTC buses also remained off the road. Bus services will be resumed after getting the green signal from the police either on Saturday night or Sunday morning, Mr. Mahendran said.
When contacted, a police officer told The Hindu that nearly 200 trucks bearing Tamil Nadu registration were stopped at the border. Many trucks with other State registration left Hosur via Bagalur and Malur to destinations in Karnataka at their own risk.
