Bengaluru buses, autos, trucks may not ply today

BENGALURU: Transport services are likely to come to a halt on Thursday in view of the nationwide protest by road transport workers against the proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill.

But city police commissioner MN Reddi tweeted that BMTC and KSRTC buses would be operational and urged the public to go about their lives as usual.“Essential transport services will run... none can force the strike on unwilling people. Such people will be dealt with firmly as per law,“ he tweeted.

BMTC and KSRTC buses are unlikely to operate and will be joined by private buses, taxis, minibus, lorries and trucks. N Nagaraj, secretary of KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, said: “It is not a bandh but a protest. All 1.20 lakh public transport workers will participate in the protest from 6am to 8pm. No public transport bus will function on Thursday.“

Taxi aggregators Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru and Uber have said their operations would depend on the situation prevailing on Thursday. Adarsha Auto and Taxi Drivers Union, which represents about 20,000 drivers in Bengaluru, will not join the protest.