Bus services across Karnataka may grind to a halt starting August 5, as employees of KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC launch an indefinite strike. The protest stems from long-pending demands for salary revision, arrears payment, and resolution of other unresolved issues, despite several talks with the state government.

To minimize the disruption to public mobility, the Transport Department has appealed to private bus operators for support. However, private players have submitted demands in exchange for their cooperation, including:

  • 15-day road tax exemption
  • 60:40 permit-sharing policy (60% for state buses, 40% for private)
  • 50% waiver on DSA penalties
  • Strict action against state buses violating route norms

A crucial meeting between CM Siddaramaiah and transport union leaders is set for August 4 at Vidhana Soudha, which may decide whether the strike will go ahead as planned.

If talks fail, bus services across urban and rural Karnataka are likely to be severely impacted, causing inconvenience to lakhs of daily commuters.