The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will continue with its decision to provide free rides to women commuters on Raksha Bandhan, even as a group claiming to represent contractual employees claimed staffers belonging to this category have decided to go on mass leave on August 26.
The free travel facility will be available for women passengers in both air-condition and non-AC buses from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on August 26.
On Thursday, an organisation of contractual employees — Karmchari Ekta Manch — asked all contract-based drivers and conductors to go on leave en masse on Raksha Bandhan. The move is to protest a reduction in wages of contract-based drivers and conductors in the wake of a recent Delhi High Court order which stuck down hiked wage rates notified by the government last, said the organisation.
No leave from Aug 23-31
The depot managers have issued notices to the staff asking them not to avail leave from August 23 to August 31. However, if the contract-based drivers and conductors go on mass leave, the DTC services may be paralysed causing inconvenience to commuters on August 26.
“Keeping in view the heavy rush of commuters on Raksha Bandhan, the DTC has also decided to put its maximum buses on the road. The depot managers have been directed for maintenance of buses so that all of them are timely on road,” the DTC said.
