Hundreds of daily commuters brought the Haveri Central Bus Station to a standstill on Friday morning in a spontaneous demonstration against the chronic shortage of buses on the Hangal route. The flash protest, which involved blocking buses, was a direct result of the severe disruption in services caused by ongoing road construction on the Haveri-Hangal-Sirsi highway.
Daily Commuters Take a Stand
The protest was not led by any political group but by the people most affected: teachers, students, bank employees, various government workers, and local traders. Tired of the daily struggle, they staged a sudden sit-in at the bus depot. The crowd expressed deep frustration that their repeated verbal complaints and phone calls to authorities over the past six months had gone entirely unheeded.
The protest quickly led to a major traffic snarl around the bus station, with vehicles unable to enter or exit. Commuters highlighted how the unreliable service was impacting their livelihoods, forcing them to take half or full-day leaves when they failed to reach their workplaces on time.
Official Response and Public Anguish
Depot manager Prashant, who rushed to the scene, cited the roadwork on the Haveri-Sirsi route as the primary cause for the delays. He requested two days to consult with senior officials and promised to immediately run two additional buses to ease the crisis. However, the public remained skeptical due to the long history of inaction.
Government employee Rabia, who was part of the protest, provided a stark example of the problem. "Instead of the four scheduled buses in the morning, only one was running," she said. She noted that only the long-distance Dharmasthala bus was adhering to its timetable. Rabia also pointed out a cascading effect: previously punctual bus drivers from the Sirsi division had also begun reducing their services because buses from the Haveri division were consistently late.
She painted a grim picture of the daily commute, with students forced to hang onto bus doors due to severe overcrowding in the few vehicles that were operational.
Resolution After Police Intervention
Police personnel arrived at the location to persuade the protesters to disperse. The commuters, however, stood firm and declared they would only leave if additional buses were provided for the Hangal route immediately. Following this, the authorities arranged for extra buses on the spot.
Only after this assurance did the protesters submit a formal request letter demanding on-time bus operations. They called for the Haveri division transport controllers to personally visit the site and address the issue. The protest was withdrawn with an urgent plea to resolve the crisis within the two-day timeframe given by the depot manager.
