Truck-bus drivers' strike might affect MSRTC buses commute across the state

All over the country, truck and bus drivers have gone on strike and drivers of fuel transport and supply vehicles have also gone on strike. As a result, there is a high possibility of shortage of petrol and diesel. Therefore, motorists have thronged the petrol pumps since Tuesday morning to fill their vehicles with petrol and diesel. There are signs that ST will also be affected by the truck-bus drivers' strike. It is predicted that ST bus service will be stopped due to lack of diesel.

From Monday, truck and bus drivers across the country have started protesting against the new law, which provides for a 10-year jail term and a fine of INR 7 lakh for convicts in hit and run cases. As the New Year begins with agitation, it is affecting common citizens. The agitation of truck and bus drivers is going on in important cities of the country including Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Thane, Marathwada, West Maharashtra, Vidarbha. The impact of this movement is also felt in the state and fuel supply has stopped in Marathwada and North Maharashtra. In Vidarbha, the agitation is raging and ST rounds have been cancelled in some depots in Vidarbha. Also, the peaceful movement across the country has started to rage.

Also Read: Commuters' Concerns Grow Amidst New Vande Bharat Express Launch Known as the lifeline of Maharashtra, MSRTC bus is very close to common people. Majority of State Transport (ST) Corporation buses run on diesel. An average of 14,000 ST trains run every day. This bus requires an average of 11 lakh litres of diesel per day. If the diesel required by ST buses is not met, there is a possibility that the services of ST will be disrupted. Due to this, lakhs of passengers travelling through ST are likely to be affected.Meanwhile, 250 depots of ST have diesel filling facilities in buses. ST Corporation buys diesel from two companies namely Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL). All depots have enough diesel stock to last through Tuesday. A senior ST official expressed fear that if the strike continues for a few more days, there will be a shortage of diesel and ST bus trips will have to be cancelled.