Bus services across Punjab were disrupted on Friday with contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) going on a strike after the police allegedly picked up several union leaders.
The union members opposed the move by raising slogans against the police after closing the main gate of the Patiala bus stand.
The union had earlier announced a protest against the opening of tenders under the controversial Kilometre Scheme. The tenders were scheduled to be opened on Friday, hours after the union leaders were detained.
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Darshan Pal condemned the overnight raids at union leaders’ houses. He said that instead of detaining the union leaders, the government should have held talks with them to resolve the dispute. He urged farmers, trade and democratic unions to stand with protesting workers.
The strike forced passengers across the state to depend on private buses. Daily travellers faced a hard time reaching their destinations.
The Kilometre Scheme has long faced criticism from transport employees, who allege that it encourages corruption by enabling private operators to run buses on government-notified routes. Union leaders called the policy a “backdoor attempt” to induct private buses and weaken the state-run transport system. They warned it would lead to loss of government jobs, increased unemployment, higher travel costs and more burden on the public.
Also read: Bus services hit as 8,000 PRTC contractual employees go on strike
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