Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Mar 30: The state government has decided to press private buses into service if the transport workers do not agree to drop their indefinite strike plan from April 7 onward.

The KSRTC workers say that certain demands which were agreed upon during the negotiations have not been implemented so far while the government has been stressing that almost all the demands have been met and it is working on one demand which involves a substantial amount of money.

About 1,700 private buses are planned to be run during the strike period. It has been decided to issue permits free of cost to private operators for the purpose. Transport minister Laxman Savadi, said that these decisions were taken at a meeting of transport department officials which was presided over by chief minister B S Yediyurappa.

Currently, hundreds of private buses have surrendered their permits, as they are unable to even pay the taxes. Savadi said that temporary permits will be issued to these buses to serve the people.