MARGAO
Commuters travelling by KTC bus service, including inter-State bus passengers, were left stranded after drivers of KTC electric buses went on a flash strike on Friday morning.
Daily commuters were caught unawares at the Margao KTC bus stand as well as other places after electric buses did not come out of the depot on Friday morning in the absence of drivers.
Passengers were left stranded at the KTC bus stand, and at other places including the Comunidade building bus halt as students and office goers were seen anxiously waiting to travel to their destination.
As drivers struck work till their demand for hike in wages and salaries is met by the management, the KTC pressed into service its own drivers who had the experience of driving electric buses.
KTC Chairman Ulhas Tuemkar informed that around 22 out of the 50 electric buses finally came out of the depot manned by KTC drivers. Tuemkar informed that the company running the fleet of electric buses for KTC has arranged daily wage drivers, exuding confidence that all 50 electric buses will be on the roads on Saturday.
Saying that the demand for hike in wages is an issue to be resolved between drivers and the company providing the electric bus service to KTC, the Tuemkar said KTC has told the company management to resolve the issue on priority and not to inconvenience commuters.
“A top official of the company is expected to come down and take a tough decision so that commuters are not held to ransom by the drivers”, he said.
The bus drivers, on the other hand, said they were left with no option than to strike work since their repeated pleas for a hike in wages fell on deaf ears. “We had raised the demand for hike in payments over the last several months. The management had sought two months time to address issues, but in vain. The company had promised to pay us Rs 22,000, but what we receive is only 15,000 per month after deductions”, the drivers said.
They further pointed out that they have no facilities when they are required to make night halts across the border at Sawantwadi or at Patradevi, Netraveli and other places.
The drivers resolved to continue the strike till the management metes out justice by effecting a hike in wages and offers better working facilities.
Asserting they had submitted a letter to the management that they will strike work as the management had been only handing out false promises, the drivers said the management left them in the lurch without conceding their demand.
A company official said the drivers have asked for a 40 per cent hike in the wages and the demand is presently before the management. The official, however, said no strike notice was served, adding that the drivers had only submitted their demand for hike in the wages.
“This strike is illegal since no prior notice was served. The drivers should understand this is public transport and they cannot hold the commuters to ransom”, the official added.
