The Pune division of the Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSRTC), on Thursday, declared that the bus operations are back to normal, one month after MSRTC workers, including drivers and conductors who went on strike.

At least 1,200 staffers have re-joined work and on Thursday, 135 ST operations took place, this is apart from private, contractor-operated buses still operating on various routes because of the strike.

December 9 was the 30th day of the strike. Till now, at least 500 workers from the Pune division who were on strike have been suspended by the department. ST buses are running on various routes from the Baramati, Bhor, Indapur and rural areas ST stands in the Pune division. The ST bus operations from Pune’s Swargate and Shivajinagar ST stands had not yet started, with private tourist buses and contractor-operated Shivshahi and Shivneri buses running from here.

“Most of the MSRTC bus operations from Pune division have been regularised today as around 1,200 workers joined back. So it has become easy for us to run the bus operations from our stands. A total of 225 bus operations were held of which 135 were our normal ST buses going into remote villages around the district. Rest were the Shivshahi and Shivneri buses operated by the private contractors,” said MSRTC Pune divisional controller Ramakant Gaikwad.

“We are hopeful that more and more workers will join and we can start the Swargate and Wakdewadi ST stand bus operations too. If more workers join in this week, then from next week these stands will also be operational,” added Gaikwad.

Source- Hindustan Times