200 BRTS drivers go on strike over pending salaries
AMRITSAR: As many as 200 drivers of bus rapid transit system (BRTS) went on strike seeking immediate release of their pending salaries, here on Wednesday. As the drivers went on strike, a total of 93 BRTS buses remained off road leaving passengers harried. The BRTS track, in which 86 buses run at one time daily, wore a deserted look and passengers were seen waiting for the buses at terminals.
The decision comes after the Punjab Bus Metro Society (PBMS) failed to release regular revenue for the operation and maintenance to BRTS.
“Ever since the inauguration of the BRTS project in January, we have not received regular payments for the operation and maintenance of buses. PBMS owes over ₹1.4 crore to BRTS employees. Due to irregularity in payment, the salaries of drivers had been pending since September,” said one of the operational heads of the BRTS project.
“Ideally, the employees should get their salaries in the first week of every month. Salaries were disbursed irregularly in the past as well. Now, the salaries are pending since September. The drivers will resume work only when their dues are cleared. Over 30,000 passengers take BRTS buses daily. Since the buses remained off road, PBMS will have to bear huge monetary loss,” said Swaran Singh, president of the BRTS Employees’ Welfare Union.
“PBMS sent a cheque of ₹40 lakh to BRTS project managers on Wednesday. But ₹1 crore required for maintenance of the buses is still pending. On top of it, we have not received salaries yet. We will resume work only when our dues our cleared,” he said, adding that PBMS had assured us that they will release the pending amount soon.
BRTS project, chief managing director Inderjit Singh Chawla, said, “The buses remained off road on Wednesday as drivers had gone on strike. They were protesting over pending salaries and demanding non-transfer of its employees. We will resolve the issue soon and hopefully the buses will be back on road on Thursday.” The ₹545 crore BRTS project has been in financial crisis ever since it was inaugurated in January.