Bengaluru Bandh: Cabs, Private Buses Off Road Today, Govt on Alert; Traffic Advisory Issued

The daily commute of numerous Bengaluru residents will face disruptions on Monday as a consensus remains elusive between the Transport Department and the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association regarding the latter's call for a Bengaluru bandh (strike). Autorickshaws, taxis, airport cabs, and private buses have opted not to ply the roads, leaving commuters reliant on public transport like the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Namma Metro.

The bandh's impact extends to private school vans and buses, causing concern among parents regarding their children's transportation to and from school. While the government has not officially declared a holiday, some private schools have chosen to do so, with a few opting for online classes exclusively on Monday. Additionally, Maharani Cluster University has postponed its Monday exams due to the strike.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has taken steps to minimise public inconvenience, directing BMTC to operate an extra 500 schedules (4,000 trips) from major bus stations. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that those requiring transportation to hospitals, offices, airports, and railway stations encounter no issues and assured that arrangements have been made accordingly.

BMTC has also announced that these additional trips will cover routes from bus stations such as Kempegowda bus stand, K.R. Market, and Shivajinagar to various destinations. The BMTC officers and staff, along with Sarathi patrol forces, will be deployed at key roads, bus stations, and junctions in the city to monitor traffic. Additional trips will be organized in response to demand.

In light of the unavailability of airport taxis on Monday, BMTC will run an extra 100 trips to the airport, with the police on alert to prevent any untoward incidents.

The Bengaluru traffic police have issued a traffic advisory in response to the call for a 'Bengaluru Bandh' by the Karnataka State Private Vehicles Owner Association. The advisory aims to help the public plan their travel accordingly.

In accordance with the advisory, the police urge the public to avoid traveling on KG Road, Sheshadri Road, GT Road, and the roads surrounding Freedom Park and Majestic Bus Stand.

Instead, commuters are encouraged to consider the following alternative routes:

For vehicles heading from RR Junction to Khodays Circle: Divert towards Krishna Flour Mill and continue towards Malleshwaram.

For vehicles traveling from Goodshed Road: Proceed towards G T Road via Sangolli Rayanna Circle, leading to Okalipuram, and further towards Sujatha Theatre.

For vehicles approaching from Ananda Rao Circle: Navigate towards the Old JDS Office Road and reach Sheshadripuram Road.

For vehicles arriving from Mysuru Bank Circle: Head towards Palace Road, which leads to the Maharani Junction underpass, and then proceed towards Basaveshwara Circle.

These alternative routes should help commuters navigate the city more smoothly during the specified period.

S. Nataraj Sharma, president of the federation, expressed apologies to the public for the inconvenience caused but placed the responsibility squarely on the State government. He emphasized that unless their demands are met, autorickshaws in Bengaluru will display black flags on their vehicles as a sign of protest starting Tuesday. He also noted that if negotiations with the government fail, the protest will escalate to the State level.

C.N. Srinivasan of the Auto Rickshaw Drivers' Union (ARDU) stated that all autorickshaw drivers, except a pro-government group, will support the strike.

The federation, comprising 32 transport unions, has presented 28 demands to the State government. Despite multiple rounds of talks, including a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the federation members claim that no results have been achieved.

Transport Minister Reddy suggested that there might be political motives behind the bandh call, pointing out the federation's absence from the meeting chaired by the CM. He emphasized that some demands would require around Rs 5,000 crore to fulfill and that further concessions could not be made beyond what was already offered.