Living up to their tradition of first issuing a threat of strike and then withdrawing after a meeting with Transport Minister Madan Mitra, the six bus owners’ organisations in the State have again called off their proposed three-day strike that was to start on June 25 in demand of fare hike.
When contacted, joint secretary of Joint Council of Bus Syndicate Tapan Banerjee told The Hindu , “We have decided to withdraw the strike after Mr. Mitra assured us that the State government would take a decision on bus fare hike by July 23.” He also said that the all-party committee set up by Mr. Mitra would submit its report within July 23.
On June 16, when the bus owners’ organisations announced their decision to go on strike, they made tall claims about being determined to execute it.
Even though Mr. Banerjee claimed that Mr. Mitra had admitted that the demand for fare hike was justified, one has to remember that the bus owners’ organisations have threatened to go on strike several times in the past and backtracked later. Mr. Banerjee also said that in a three-hour-long meeting, Mr. Mitra said that he would try to arrange a meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the bus owners to settle the issue of fare hike.
Apart from Joint Council of Bus Syndicate, Bengal Bus Syndicate, All Bengal Minibus Bus Coordination Committee, Minibus Operators’ Coordination Committee, North Bengal Passenger Owners Transport Committee, and Howrah District Bus Minibus Coordination Committee attended the meeting.
