Unlock: Workers returning to Bengaluru worried over lack of BMTC buses

As Bengaluru gears up for a partial lifting of the lockdown on Monday, lakhs of unorganised-sector workers looking to get back to work are worried about their daily commute in the absence of BMTC bus services.

Factory workers, janitors, security guards, masons, maids, porters, etc usually do not have personal vehicles nor can they afford to travel by auto-rickshaws or cabs. BMTC buses are their preferred mode of transportation. But the state government's decision to suspend BMTC (and KSRTC) bus services for another week could affect their plans to get back to work.

Many migrant workers, especially those working in the construction industry, had left Bengaluru when the government announced the Covid lockdown in late April. Many of them are now returning to the city, hoping to find work as the city comes out of the second wave of Covid-19. Construction activities have been allowed in Unlock 1.0.

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Observers expect about six or seven lakh construction workers to get back to work from Monday onwards. Most of them are travelling into Bengaluru by train but it's the intra-city commute that they are worried about.

Manjunath Kamble, president of the labour cell, says while the government has promised "alternative travel arrangements" for 50% of the workers, a large majority will still be left out. "What about those who earn only Rs 200-250 a day, do not have personal vehicles and cannot afford autos and cabs?" he asked. "We will submit a memorandum to the authorities about these workers' transportation requirements on Monday."

Domestic workers who lost their jobs in the past two months due to the lockdown face the same problem. As families slowly return to the city, domestic workers hope to find work again. Many of them work within a six-km radius of their homes and commute by BMTC buses, says Geeta Menon of the Domestic Workers' Union.

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Many families are insisting that domestic workers get themselves vaccinated or do not want to employ those aged 55 years or above. "The transport problem only adds to their problem," Menon adds.

N Shivanna, state secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), says many people working in the unorganised sector are from neighbouring towns such as Tumakuru and Arsikere. "They may travel to Bengaluru by train. But how will they go to Electronics City or Peenya Industrial Area without BMTC buses? They only earn Rs 12,000 to 15,000 a month and cannot afford to ride autos and cabs. The government should restart the buses," he adds.

While some garment factories have arranged buses for their employees, a majority of the workers depend on BMTC buses for their daily commute. "If the workers do not turn up once the factory posts the notice, they will lose their jobs. If there are no buses, workers either walk several kilometres or try to hitch a ride. Some of them even travel by autos although it might not work out for them economically," says Rukmini V P, president of Garment Labourers' Union. "They don't want to lose their jobs."