BENGALURU: All those who depend on private buses, cabs and autos for their commute on Monday will be affected as more than 7 lakh vehicles will remain off the road. As the private school and van operators have also extended their support to the bandh, many schools have declared a holiday on Monday.
With the support of 36 private transport unions, the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations have called for a Bengaluru bandh from Sunday midnight to Monday midnight demanding the state government to fulfil their various demands - including compensation for the loss of revenue because of the roll-out of the Shakti scheme, providing tax exemption to private bus operators, regulating private app-based ride-hailing aggregators Ola and Uber, banning Rapido bike taxis and others.
The nominated president of the federation Nataraj Sharma told TNIE “The private transport sector in Karnataka is under distress and has been severely hit after the rollout of the Shakti scheme. We have lost over 40 per cent of the revenue to the scheme. Private vehicles will remain off-road from Sunday midnight till Monday midnight.”
Government should fulfil our demands and we not rest till then, Sharma said. He said that if the government do not budge then they will have to call for a state-wide bandh and take up other measures.
On Monday, the federation has planned for a mega rally starting from Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station to Freedom Park, where they will sit in a day-long protest. Members of the federation are confident that the bandh will be successful as this time the drivers have campaigned among their community not to take their vehicles out.
Recommended detours
1. From RR Junction, towards Krishna Flour Mill, and towards Malleswaram to Khodays Circle
2. From Goodshed Road, towards G T Road via Sangolli Rayanna Circle, to Okalipuram and onwards to Sujatha Theatre
3. From Anand Rao Circle, towards Old JDS Office Road and continue to Seshadripuram Road
4. From Mysuru Bank Circle, towards Palace Road, to the Maharani Junction underpass, towards Basaveshwara Circle
Avoid the following routes
KG Road
Sheshadri Road
GT Road
Roads near Freedom Park & Majestic Bus Stand
Plan travel accordingly: BIAL
Bangalore International Airport Limited on Sunday asked the passengers to plan their travel according, in the wake of the Bengaluru bandh. In a social media post on X, BIAL said “Due to the one-day Bengaluru bandh protest on Sep 11, all modes of public transport will be impacted. Passengers are advised to
plan their travel to and from the airport.”