Pune Luxury Bus Operators Threaten Indefinite Strike from June 15 over Traffic Police Action
Pune Luxury Bus Operators Threaten Indefinite Strike from June 15 over Traffic Police Action
Commuters face uncertainty as private bus association protests alleged early penalisation ahead of deadline
The Pune District Luxury Bus Association has announced the possibility of an indefinite strike starting June 15, citing alleged high-handedness by the city’s traffic police. If carried out, the move is expected to disrupt travel plans for nearly 70,000 daily commuters who rely on private luxury buses to reach various cities across Maharashtra and neighbouring states.
Balasaheb Khedekar, President of the association, stated that despite prior assurances from the traffic police that enforcement of a new directive would begin only after June 15, their buses were already being fined and even forced to exit city limits. “Several of our vehicles were penalised in the past few days. This goes against what was discussed. How can we operate in such uncertainty?” he said to Toi.
The crux of the issue lies in a new order issued on June 1 by Pune Traffic Police, which restricts the entry of private buses into the city between 6 am to 11 am and 6 pm to 10 pm. The association was informed that the regulation would remain open to suggestions and objections for 15 days. However, members allege that penalties began even before the consultation period ended.
Khedekar added that the association would hold discussions with their counterparts in Pimpri Chinchwad and urged authorities to address their grievances urgently.
The movement has gained support from the Pune Bus and Car Owners Association. Its working president, Kiran Desai, criticised what he described as discriminatory practices. He confirmed that a formal letter had been submitted to the Pune RTO and a meeting with officials was planned soon.
Passengers are already feeling the impact. A passenger who has a scheduled trip to Bengaluru this week, said, “If the strike goes ahead, my entire travel plan will collapse. I’ll have to look for alternate, probably costlier, arrangements.”
Meanwhile, Pune’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Amol Jende, defended the enforcement action. “We’ve held four meetings with the association in the last two months. They were told to regularise operations and follow the rules. Despite being provided with designated parking at Kharadi Wageshwar and Shewalewadi, and earlier at Sangamwadi and Swargate, many operators continue to stop wherever they please. Action was taken due to non-compliance,” Jende explained to Toi.
As the standoff escalates, the city administration faces the dual challenge of ensuring smooth traffic flow and addressing the legitimate concerns of private bus operators. For now, commuters wait anxiously, hoping for a resolution before the looming strike date.
