The Hindu Business Line : Strike cripples bus services in AP

THE indefinite strike by the employees of APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) has hit the bus services across the State, leaving lakhs of passengers stranded at several places.

While the Joint Action Committee of the RTC unions claimed that the strike was total, the Government said the response was partial.

Only five per cent of the staff reported for duty today. The Government, however, claimed that it roped in 7,515 drivers and 9,163 conductors. "Overall, about 37,000 vehicles plied today," the Transport Department officials said.

The list included RTC buses, maxi cabs and other private vehicles.

They said the corporation could manage to operate 11,576 services of a total of 18,400 services.

Activists of Communist Party of India (CPI) held a dharna here in support of the strike. Mr K. Narayana, Secretary of CPI's State unit, and several others were taken into custody as they tried to barge in into the RTC Managing Director's office.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), affiliated to the CPI (M), CPI (ML - New Democracy) and DTF (Democratic Teachers' Federation) asked the Government to meet the demands of the striking RTC employees.

Meanwhile, Mr Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, Minister for Transport, appraised the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on the strike situation on the latter's return from New Delhi.

The Minister later told reporters that the doors were still open for negotiations. "If they (the JAC) take an initiative, we are ready to continue the talks," he said.

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