HARROWING TIMES FOR PASSENGERS

The bus stands in the region wore deserted look on Tuesday as all roadways buses remained off the road thanks to the ‘chakka jaam’ (strike) observed by the roadways employees unions.

While the roadways employees, especially the bus-conductors and drivers, spent the day at the waiting rooms of the city bus stands, the passengers were left stranded as the bus services were paralysed in the district and buses remained parked at bus stands.

The passengers were condemning the roadways staff and the state government for their failure to resolve the issue.

“Roadways strike has become a routine affair. We don’t know why the roadways employees are opposing private buses, which provide relief to the people, especially those coming from villages to cities regularly,” said a passenger Sumit Kumar.

The strike also caused inconvenience to students, especially the girls, who are entitled to free travelling in government buses.

“We could not go to the college today due to roadways strike as the government did not make alternative arrangements for the students,”, said Nidhi Tyagi, a student of Karnal.

However, senior roadways officers were sitting in their offices and seemed helpless over the issue. “All 180 buses of our depot are not plying. We have marked absent of all the employees, who have joined the strike”, said Rohtash Singh, general manager, Haryana Roadways, Kurukshetra.