Bus service between Maharashtra-Karnataka suspended in light of assault on State Transport employee

MSRTC bus service between Maharashtra and Karnataka suspended indefinitely due to safety concerns after driver assault in Karnataka.

The MSRTC bus service between Maharashtra and Karnataka has been suspended from Kolhapur division by the Maharashtra government for the safety and security of its employees and commuters, Maharashtra Government said on Saturday (February 22, 2025). The decision has been taken in light of the assault of a Maharashtra State Transport employee by some anti-social elements in Karnataka on Friday (February 21, 2025) night.

“This is an extremely unfortunate incident. We condemn it. In view of the safety of our commuters and employees, we have suspended the bus service to Karnataka from Kolhapur division indefinitely. They won’t resume till the Karnataka government takes a stance on it and speaks with us,” Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said.

He gave these instructions to the Managing Director of the State Transport body. The Minister also held a telephonic conversation with Bhaskar Jadhav, the driver of the State Transport bus who was allegedly assaulted in Chitradurg on Friday (February 21, 2025) night.

Meanwhile, angry protests were held in Kolhapur in Maharashtra against the assault of the Marathi bus driver . Shiv Sena(UBT) leaders and political workers stopped Karnataka buses in Kolhapur and put saffron flags on them. They felicitated the driver and conductor of the Maharashtra State transport bus which was stopped in Chitradurg on Friday (February 21, 2025) night. They also demanded a ban on Kannada Rakshana Vedike.

“We have banned the buses from Karnataka from entering Maharashtra. The responsibility of the Marathi manoos who goes to Karnataka lies with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Yet, the CM, DCM have not made a single statement against it. Why haven’t they asked any questions to the Karnataka government? That is why we have put the saffron flags on Karnataka buses,” Vijay Devane, Shiv Sena(UBT) leader from Kolhapur, told The Hindu.

Giving details about the chronology of events, MSRTC regional manager Anagha Bartakke told The Hindu from Kolhapur, “As soon as we received a complaint from our bus driver and conductor, we immediately dispatched our senior officers to Chitradurg. We also contacted the Karnataka regional office. They helped us take our driver and conductor to the Chitradurg depot. The injured driver was thereafter taken to a hospital there, and administered treatment. He was traumatised and shocked. An FIR was registered at Chitradurg police station. Our new crew went there for crew change. The old crew was brought to Kolhapur by the new crew. The bus reached Kolhapur at 11 a.m. today.