RTC Strike Paralyses Public Transport in Warangal Region

 Warangal: Public transportation came to a grinding halt across the erstwhile Warangal district as RTC employees commenced a state-wide strike on Wednesday.

Of the 1,036 buses in the Warangal region, the vast majority remained in their depots, leaving nearly 2 lakh daily commuters in the lurch.

The strike, called by the RTC joint action committee, saw participation from approximately 4,000 employees including drivers, conductors, mechanics and supervisors across nine depots of Hanamkonda, Warangal-1, Warangal-2, Mahabubabad, Thorrur, Bhupalpally, Jangaon, Parkal and Narsampet. Electric buses and a few hired buses operated with the help of outsourcing staff.

JAC chairman Yakaswamy said the protest is centered on a 32-point charter of demands. Chief among these was the immediate implementation of the government merger promised by the government, announcement of an appointment date for employees as government staff, settlement of pending bills and restoration of trade unions.

The disruption has caused a massive financial loss of approximately `1.50 crore for the region. Taken unawares, many passengers arrived at the Warangal and Hanamkonda bus stations in the morning as usual, only to find themselves stranded.

Taking undue advantage of the situation, private vehicle operators hiked their fares. They were charging up to Rs 500 for a trip from Hanamkonda to Hyderabad, a journey that generally costs Rs 300.

In an effort to mitigate the impact, RTC deputy regional manager Bhanu Kiran stated that the management would deploy hired buses and electric vehicles using outsourced staff and private drivers.