Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 28: Various bus owners organizations in the state have decided to fight against the unilateral decision of the transport department to ban entry of private buses into the city limits between February 1 and 10. They have said that they will follow a two-pronged strategy of approaching the court and government to reverse this decision.

The transporters have decided to meet home minister, G Parameshwar, transport minister, Ramalinga Reddy, and city in-charge minister, K J George, seeking to review the above decision. If the government stays firm on its decision, the bus owners will seek court intervention.

"The transport department and city police commissioner had decided on Wednesday to move all
private and government buses out of the city in the guise of 'Invest Karnataka' meet for ten days. The transport commissioner had announced that all the bus owners have given their nod for this proposal. But the bus owners said that neither the transport department not police commissioner have taken into consideration suggestions and opinions mooted by bus owners at the meeting. Even issues which need serious consideration were warded off through evasive answers,"
some who participated in the meeting said.

Owner of Durgamba Motors, Sadananda Chatra, blamed the government of telling lies, asserting that bus owners had not given their approval for the above changes. He said that when the tribulations suffered by passengers were mentioned, the officials gave arrogant replies, but are now claiming that bus owners have agreed to the formula worked out by them.

Bus owners had mentioned that their buses take to roads after 8 pm, and reach destinations before 7 am, and as such, traffic in the city does not get adversely affected. The transport department suggested that the buses may visit service centres located inside the city between 11 pm and 4 am. "We will face a situation in which buses cannot even be cleaned," the bus owners pointed out. They said that operating government buses to carry passengers from city's border will place the same amount of pressure on road traffic.

The spots where the buses are proposed to be halted do not have arrangements for safety, sanitation, and other basic facilities. When this was pointed out, transport officials said that the government will provide facilities. But no reply was given how they propose to do that,it is gathered. When plight of passengers was mentioned, transport officials advised private bus owners not to be bothered about it.