Commuters and the general public continued to face hardship on Thursday as the indefinite strike by the transport employees entered the second day.
Although some alternative arrangements were made by the officials of North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, they were not of much help to the travelling public. Traders and businessmen felt the heat of the strike as their employees did not turn up for work citing lack of bus facilities.
Both Hubballi-Dharwad put together, the officials somehow managed to run 19 buses on different routes. Among them, five were operated by the city transport division and two under Bus Rapid Transit System and 12 by the Moffusil Division to different towns and cities.
Private players were also allowed to operate from the public bus stands on temporary permits in view of the strike.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of NWKRTC Krishna Bajpai made an appeal to the striking drivers and conductors to call off the agitation and resume their duties. He said in his appeal that the demands of the employees could be resolved amicably.
In his appeal, he said that continuation of the strike would result in huge losses to NWKRTC and it would not be in the interest of drivers and conductors. Mentioning that 14.5 lakh people were dependent on public transport buses for commuting every day in the nine divisions of NWKRTC in six districts, he said that the strike had caused inconvenience to thousands of people.
Notice
While on the one hand, the Managing Director made an appeal to the employees, NWKRTC officials began issuing notice to the striking employees on the other.
As many as 12 trainee drivers and conductors attached to Hubballi Dharwad City Transport Division were served with show-cause notice on Thursday asking them to report to duty with written clarification on Friday failing which disciplinary action would be taken against them. Employees residing in the staff quarters of the transport corporation were also issued notice asking them to report to their duties and with a warning that disciplinary action will be taken.
As an alternative arrangement, NWKRTC is also offering honorarium of ₹800 and ₹700 respectively for former drivers and conductors aged less than 62. An option to chose the schedule (route) for the next six months is also being offered to the drivers and conductors who report to duties during the strike.
