Daijiword Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Apr 30: Protesting against assault of the conductor of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation's rural bus service here by private bus staff on Sunday evening, KSRTC employees struck work by refusing to take away buses out of the corporation's depot here on Monday April 29 morning.

On account of this sudden strike, passengers were caught unawares and inconvenienced. The protest was withdrawn after officials of the corporation promised to see that justice is done to the aggrieved employees.

Driver of Udupi - Siddapur - Kollur bus, identified as Malappa from Vijayapura, who was injured in the assault, was admitted into the government hospital for treatment. Conductor of the bus, Manjunath Madiwala, was also attacked. Kundapur KSRTC depot manager and other staff visited their colleague at the hospital.

The government bus that was moving to Kollur from Udupi had allowed a private bus to overtake near Halady. The private bus, which moved ahead, blocked the way of KSRTC bus near Shankaranarayana. Driver of the private bus, Aruna, and its conductor allegedly attacked the KSRTC bus staff. A case was registered in Shankaranarayana police station in this connection.

KSRTC bus staff rue the fact that private bus conductors and drivers use abusive words against them and also threaten to assault them frequently. They say that although they hold permits for running the buses, even the police support the private bus employees. They point out that when a KSRTC bus conductor was badly attacked at Shastri Circle here a few months back, even though non-bailable case was registered, the police did not arrest the attacker although he was present at Shastri Circle. On Sunday too the KSRTC employees protested against delay on the part of the police in registering the case on the basis of their complaint.