Bengaluru: Maintaining that the ‘Shakti’ Scheme, which facilitates free travel for women in State transport buses, is severely hurting their business, Private bus, Cab and Auto drivers have called for a Statewide transport bandh on July 27.

Announcing this at a press meet here yesterday, Private Bus Owners Association President S. Nataraj Sharma said that all private transport operators (bus, auto, cab etc.) will stop operations and services  from midnight  of July 26 to midnight of July 27 as part of transport bandh.

Asserting that the ‘Shakti’ Scheme introduced by the Government has severely impacted their business, he said that there will be no private bus, auto, cab services on July 27. As many as 23 private transport associations have expressed support to the bandh, Sharma said adding that the bandh is also  aimed at pressing the Government for fulfillment of their various demands which are pending for long.

The demands include putting a stop for white board vehicle hiring, financial assistance to support education of children of vehicle drivers, passenger restriction in Government vehicles, cutting down taxes for Tourist and Contract carriage buses and housing scheme for vehicle drivers, among others.

Transport Operator Associations office-bearers Radhakrishna Holla, G. Narayanaswamy, Raghu Narayanagowda, M. Manjunath and Gandasi Sadanandaswamy were present at the press meet.