New Year travel hit likely: Transport staff prepare for statewide bus strike

Unresolved wage and service-related demands push BMTC and KSRTC employees towards a large-scale agitation, with government bus services likely to be disrupted in early January.

Public transport across Karnataka could face serious disruption at the start of the new year, as state transport employees intensify preparations for a fresh strike. Employees working with BMTC and KSRTC have begun mobilisation across depots, signalling a possible shutdown of government-run bus services in the first week of January.

The move follows continued dissatisfaction among transport staff over unresolved demands, including wage-related issues and other service benefits. Despite several rounds of discussions, including meetings led by the Chief Minister and senior ministers, employees allege that no concrete steps have been taken to address their concerns.

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Over the past several weeks, transport workers’ unions have conducted multiple internal meetings and depot-level interactions. Pamphlets calling for unity and readiness for a strike are being distributed at BMTC and KSRTC depots across the state. Union members are visiting depots individually, urging employees to prepare for collective action if demands continue to be ignored.

Transport employees express strong disappointment over the government’s approach, stating that even after earlier protests and a previous bus strike held a few months ago, their issues remain unresolved. This, they say, has forced them to plan a much larger and more organised agitation this time.

According to union sources, the proposed strike is aimed at pressuring the government to act on long-pending demands related to salaries and service conditions. If the agitation goes ahead as planned, lakhs of daily commuters could be affected, particularly in Bengaluru and other major cities that depend heavily on BMTC and KSRTC services.

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With the new year approaching, uncertainty looms over public transport operations, and the coming days are expected to be crucial in determining whether bus services will continue uninterrupted or come to a standstill.