E-Paper
STRIKING SOLIDARITY
CHAOS PREVAILED in the city for several hours as driver of a UPSRTC city bus disappeared mysteriously following an altercation with a special task force driver in Hazratganj on Saturday morning. The contract employees? union went on strike refusing to run the buses till the driver was produced before them. The strike was called off around 2 pm, following assurance by senior police officials. But the ?chakka jam? had already caused traffic problems for over six hours in the busy areas.
UPSRTC city buses go off road as staff demand colleague’s return
CHAOS PREVAILED in the city for several hours as driver of a UPSRTC city bus disappeared mysteriously following an altercation with a special task force (STF) driver in Hazratganj on Saturday morning.
The contract employees’ union went on strike refusing to run the buses till the driver was produced before them. The strike was called off around 2 pm, following assurance by senior police officials. But the ‘chakka jam’ had already caused traffic problems for over six hours in the busy areas.
A case of abduction was registered against the STF driver at the local police station. The surveillance of the ‘missing’ driver’s mobile phone, however, revealed that he was staying at his sister’s place in Gomti Nagar area. The cops were trying to trace the place till late in the night.
It all began around 7.30 am when STF driver Santosh Tiwari was returning after dropping ASP Umesh Singh’s children to school in Hazratganj. As he reached the Sikanderbagh crossing, a city bus hit the vehicle the STF employee was driving.
A heated exchange ensued between the two drivers and Tiwari forced the bus driver Ram Naresh to get the vehicle repaired. Initially, Ram Naresh asked Tiwari to take the damaged vehicle to UPSRTC workshop but the latter denied it.
Instead, Tiwari asked Ram Naresh to have it repaired at a private workshop.
Later, Tiwari bundled the bus driver in his car and took him to a workshop at Patrakarpuram in Gomti Nagar. Meanwhile, Ram Naresh called his acquaintances there and they overpowered the STF driver. Tiwari left the place immediately fearing an attack on him and reached the ASP.
Ram Naresh too left the place along with his associates as he came to know that Tiwari was associated with the STF.
On the other hand, the conductor on the bus Raj Kumar informed senior UPSRTC officials and union office-bearers about ‘abduction’ of the driver. The news caused anger among other city bus staff and they refused to run the buses till Ram Naresh was produced before them.
The bus drivers blocked the roads in Hazratganj, Gomti Nagar, Charbagh and other crossings in the city.
Senior officials from UPSRTC, STF and local police rushed to the Patrakarpuram crossing and tried to pacify the union office-bearers. But the latter refused to relent till Ram Naresh appeared before them.
The conductor later lodged a case of abduction. Talking to HT Lucknow Live, general manager (operations) with UPSRTC RP Singh said the strike was called off after the union office-bearers came to know that Ram Naresh was safe.
Circle officer (CO) DK Singh said they had come to know that Ram Naresh was staying in Gomti Nagar, which they were trying to trace the place. The driver had switched off the mobile phone since evening, Singh said.
