3 months ago
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The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Road Transport Corporation (RTC) workers’ unions, which had organised a ‘Bengaluru Chalo’ connected Thursday pressing for the fulfilment of assorted long-pending demands, has temporarily withdrawn its onslaught program aft caller assurances from the State government.
The unions person issued a March 2 deadline, informing that the agitation volition resume if the authorities fails to instrumentality the wage revision bid successful afloat and merchandise the full arrears owed to employees.
On Wednesday, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had announced that the State had agreed to merchandise 26 months of wage arrears amounting to ₹1,271.92 crore to officers and employees of the 4 State-run transport corporations — Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation(NWKRTC), and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).
Despite this, transport employees maintained that their halfway request remained pending. The unions are insisting that arrears for the full 38-month play beryllium cleared, alternatively of the 26 months projected by the government.
As portion of the negotiations, KSRTC managing manager Akram Pasha visited the protestation tract astatine Freedom Park successful Bengaluru and held discussions with the agitating workers. Following a last circular of talks, the Joint Action Committee announced that the onslaught would beryllium temporarily halted for now.
JAC convener Jayadevaraj Arasu said that the determination was taken successful presumption of the government’s partial effect and successful the involvement of the public.
“The Joint Action Committee has decided not to proceed the onslaught from tomorrow. However, we person fixed the authorities a 10-day deadline until March 2. If our demands are not afloat met by then, we volition resume the agitation,” helium said.
He further emphasised that each pending demands, including the implicit implementation of the wage revision and afloat disbursal of arrears, indispensable beryllium addressed wrong the stipulated timeframe. “With the onslaught program connected clasp for the moment, autobus services volition run arsenic accustomed from tomorrow,” helium added.
However, not each employees astatine the protestation tract were successful statement with the decision. Some workers contiguous astatine Freedom Park reportedly objected to the impermanent withdrawal and urged national leaders to proceed the onslaught until each demands were met unconditionally. But JAC leaders convinced them.
Bus operations normal
Meanwhile, RTC officials stated that the protestation had small interaction connected autobus services crossed the State connected Thursday, with wide fleet utilisation exceeding 96%.
A full of 12,458 scheduled departures were planned crossed the 4 corporations. Of these, 11,987 services were operated, resulting successful an wide operational complaint of 96.22%.
Additionally, 663 other services were deployed, taking the full fig of operated services to 12,650. This pushed the effectual operational percentage, including further trips, to 101.54 arsenic of 10 a.m. connected the time of the protest.
KSRTC operated 3,806 retired of its 4,177 scheduled departures, signaling 91.12% operations. With 656 further services tally nether ‘Jatra’ (temple fair) arrangements, its effectual operational percent roseate to 106.82%.
BMTC recorded near-full operations, moving 3,540 services against 3,532 scheduled departures, achieving 100.23% ratio without deploying immoderate further services.
NWKRTC operated 2,250 of its 2,310 scheduled departures, registering 97.40% operations. With 7 other services operated to conscionable the jatra demand, its effectual cognition complaint accrued to 97.71%.
KKRTC reported operating 2,391 retired of 2,439 scheduled departures, achieving 98.03% operations.
Commuters telephone for lasting solution
Commuters expressed alleviation implicit the development.
Pavan Kumar from Jayanagar, said, “There were nary issues today. All buses operated arsenic usual, and passengers did not look immoderate inconvenience. However, I consciousness the authorities and the unions indispensable resoluteness this contented permanently. Frequent protests make uncertainty, and yet it is commuters who suffer. The authorities should guarantee that RTC employees person their arrears connected time. They are doing an indispensable nationalist service.”
The existent agitation follows earlier tensions betwixt the unions and the government. In August 2025, the JAC announced an indefinite onslaught aft talks with the authorities failed. The onslaught was aboriginal withdrawn pursuing involution by the Karnataka High Court.
The ‘Bengaluru Chalo’ protestation was primitively scheduled for January 29 but was postponed aft seasoned commercialized national person H.V. Anantha Subba Rao, who was spearheading the agitation, passed distant connected January 28 pursuing a cardiac arrest. The programme was subsequently rescheduled and held connected February 19.
