Strike scuppers mobility across Raj; 35,000 pvt buses off road
A strike by private bus operators in Rajasthan entered the third day on Thursday, severely disrupting transport services across the state and affecting lakhs of passengers. The protestors alleged that after a bus fire incident in Jaisalmer last year, the RTO department has been imposing heavy fines, cancelling fitness certificates, and even revoking registrations of buses that have valid permits and fitness approvals.
According to protestors, around 35,000 buses are off the roads, excluding those under the Lok Parivahan scheme. Zafar Khan, a bus operator in Jodhpur, alleged that the department has been taking arbitrary actions and seizing several buses despite compliance with norms. The impact of the strike has been on devotees travelling to the Khatu Shyamji fair and people heading home for Holi celebrations, apart from the daily commuters.
Nearly 15 lakh passengers travel daily on buses to and from Rajasthan, including travellers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Assam. Thousands of bookings made in advance for the festival season are being cancelled, they said.
The strike has led to overcrowding in Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation buses, making it difficult for people to find a seat. Private Bus Operators Association state president Satyanarayan Sahu said the strike would continue until the government agrees to their demands.
Sahu claimed the agitation was causing revenue losses not only to bus operators but also to the state government.
The government earns nearly Rs 5 per kilometre in toll revenue from their buses, which have now stopped. In addition, the state is losing VAT revenue on diesel due to the suspension of services, he said. The issue was also raised in the Rajasthan Assembly. Independent MLA Chandrabhan Singh Aakya and Congress MLA Shikha Meel Barala raised the matter during Zero Hour and urged the government to intervene.
Speaking on the adjournment motion, Aakya said private buses were off the roads due to the strike, which has caused hardship to labourers, rural residents and students.
