A sudden and unannounced strike by drivers of city low-floor buses brought daily commute in Jaipur to a grinding halt on Tuesday. The protesting drivers, employed by private operator Paras Travels, have vowed to continue their strike until their five-point charter of demands is met by the company.
Commute Chaos Grips the Pink City
The protest action had an immediate and severe impact on the city's mobility. Office-goers, students, and thousands of regular passengers who depend on this affordable transport service were left stranded. The strike was concentrated at the JCTSL Bagrana depot, where drivers refused to take their buses out. As a result, only 7 to 8 of the nearly 100 buses that usually ply from this depot were operational throughout the day.
Drivers Allege Negligence and Harassment
Gathered outside the depot, the drivers voiced a series of serious allegations against Paras Travels. They accused the firm of consistently violating labour laws and, more alarmingly, of forcing them to operate poorly maintained and unsafe buses. The drivers pointed to specific incidents, including a recent fire on the Tonk phatak flyover, as clear evidence of the company's negligence.
Further escalating the situation, the drivers highlighted that the owner of Paras Travels was recently arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a bribery case, yet no strict action was taken against the company itself. They are now demanding a thorough probe into this matter.
One of the protesting drivers, Hariom Sharma, shared a harrowing account of workplace conditions. He stated that employees have faced harassment and unsafe environments for a long time. To underscore his point, Sharma revealed, "One of our colleagues suffered a paralysis while on duty. Neither was his treatment arranged for nor was he given any compensation."
Talks Fail, Disruption Continues
Officials from the district administration and JCTSL engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations with the agitating drivers throughout the day. However, these talks failed to yield a breakthrough, leaving the stalemate in place. While bus services from other depots in the city continued to run, the strike at the Bagrana depot caused significant disruption across key routes in Jaipur. The drivers remain resolute, asserting that the strike will persist until all their demands are addressed.
