This story is from July 17, 2018

Students threaten strike on July 21 over free bus passes

Students threaten strike on July 21 over free bus passes
(Representative image)
BENGALURU: Thousands of school and college students are yet to receive their concessional bus passes this year. Reason: The government hasn’t taken a call whether to issue these passes for free. While the uncertainty prevails, students are spending up to Rs 100 on school/college commuting.
To register their protest, student unions have called for a strike on July 21, demanding implementation of the budgetary promise and issuing of free passes for all students.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) state president Harsha Manjunath said the union will meet the CM on Wednesday or Thursday.
“We want to meet the CM and demand free passes for all. This government has made statements about losses, neglecting the benefits for students,” said Harsha.
“My father is a cab driver and gives me Rs 100 daily to commute to and from college. Usually, I take two buses to commute in each direction, which costs me Rs 27. But if I don’t get a direct bus to Majestic, I end up taking three buses and pay Rs 70 per day. I don’t want to increase the burden on my parents, but we are yet to get passes from BMTC,” said Lakshmi Maria, a first-year college student from Uttarahalli.
Similarly, Lakshmi’s friends from Nelamangala have to spend up to Rs 100 per day if they don’t get a bus to college. “We are scared of BMTC conductors. Some of them let us
off if we produce the fee receipt and ID card of the last school/college we attended, but some are very rude,” said Anushree M, a student.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah had, in his budget, promised free passes for all students.
But the HD Kumaraswamy government is yet to take a decision on the matter. The four state transport undertakings — BMTC, KSRTC, NE and NW KSRTC — have said that if free bus passes are issued, they would incur an annual loss of Rs 600 crore.
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