Bengaluru Bandh today, protesting against free travel: transport operators

New Delhi: At least 32 guilds operating private transport in Karnataka called for a shutdown in the Bengaluru city today, protesting against the government’s free travel arrangement for women.

Transport operators under the federation, the Karnataka State Private Vehicles Owner Association, are not plying services demanding changes in ‘Shakti Scheme’.

Back when campaigning for polls, the ruling Congress promised free travel to women under the scheme on government buses.

Private operators, angry at the decision, are blaming that the scheme eats into their revenue, NDTV reported.

Although 32 outfits are protesting, most of the private transport services are less likely to be around today.

The Bengaluru traffic police issued traffic regulations after private bus, taxi, and auto unions joined shutdown beginning from Sunday midnight to Monday midnight.

The federation urges the government to include private buses in the Shakti scheme and sought to ban bike taxis.

The private transporters said that the government’s scheme impacted them adversely and alleged their demands are not fulfilled even after discussions.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Sunday said his department would operate ‘numerous buses’ to tackle the Bandh.

‘We have arranged BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) buses for school-going children, office-going people and for those who're going to hospitals. BMTC has arranged around 500 extra buses. Nothing will happen. They (private transport) are going for a strike, let them, they have the right to do so,’ Reddy was quoted as saying.

Close to 10 lakh vehicles including autos, taxis, airport taxis, maxi cabs, goods vehicles, school vehicles will not be on the road, according to the federation president S Nataraj Sharma.