Public transport services were hit in Rajasthan today with the beginning of a two-day strike by the employees of Rajasthan Roadways Service against the government's announcement to denationalise the nationalised routes.
Roadways' fleet of 4779 buses which ply between different cities stayed off road across the state causing inconvenience to the commuters. Office work was also hit by the strike called by the roadways employees.
Members of different roadways unions gathered in front of depots and protested against the government's budget announcement to denationalise the nationalised routes and establishment of Rajasthan State Bus Port Services Corporation to develop and manage bus-stands in the state.
"These announcements would promote private bus mafia and lead to privatisation of the state roadways so we decided to go on a two-day strike in the public interest," Dharmveer Chaudhary, General Secretary of Rajasthan Roadways Joint Employees' Federation, told PTI.
He said that all the buses were off road since midnight and the strike was successful at all the 52 depots, head office and other units.
There was no operation of buses from any bus stand in the state in protest of the government's decisions, he said.
Passengers had to take private buses to travel to their destinations and they alleged that the private buses were charging high fares.
"I had no option but to take the private bus to go to Ajmer. The buses are crowded and the fare is also unusually high," Deepesh Goyal, an engineering student, said.
All the 21,432 employees of the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) including around 7,500 drivers and as many conductors affiliated to four major Unions are participating in the strike.
