Haryana Roadways staff call off strike after two days

Chandigarh, Sept 8:

Roadways employees on Monday called off their two-day-old strike after the state government agreed to suspend with immediate effect 3,519 route permits issued to private bus operators.

The Haryana Roadways employees coordination committee leaders met Transport Minister Aftab Ahmed in New Delhi on Monday for talks over the issue of route permits to private operators and other demands.

Haryana Roadways Workers Union leader Sarbat Punia said the strike has been called off following the suspension of the new route permits to private operators. He said the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government has assured that the decision on route permits would be reviewed.

The flash strike by Haryana Roadways employees since Saturday morning left lakhs of commuters stranded across the state.

People had to pay more to taxis and private bus operators who made the most of the roadways strike. Hundreds of Haryana Roadways buses did not come out of the bus stands and depots since Saturday.

People had to pay more to taxis and private bus operators due to strike

Talks between the employees' leaders and the state transport minister had on Sunday failed to resolve the issues.

The flash strike started from Kaithal town, 135 km from here, Saturday when a private bus tried to enter the bus stand there. It was not allowed to enter by Haryana Roadways staff and the strike soon spread to other places.

Haryana Roadways has a fleet of over 3,900 buses which ferry nearly one million passengers everyday. There are nearly 19,000 roadways' staff in the state. The roadways staff had gone on a four-day strike January this year. They had gone on strike last year also.

Haryana Roadways enjoys complete monopoly in bus services in the state and the entry of private bus operators will open the doors for competition.

Haryana goes in for assembly polls next month and the code of conduct is likely to be announced by the Election Commission this week.

IANS