**New Delhi:** As trade unions try to enforce a nationwide strike , public transport has taken a hit in many parts of India, but its effects are not being felt in many other parts.
In Mumbai, the Indian Railways has refused to participate in the strike, so Mumbai local train services are not disrupted. No auto or cab strikes have been announced in Mumbai. But public transport services is affected as many auto rickshaw unions in cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru have decided to stay off roads.
Public transport across Haryana is affected after the State Roadways employees went on a day-long strike in support of central trade unions to protest violation of labour laws and economic policies.The strike left tens of thousands of passengers in a lurch. However, the water and electricity supply was not affected across the state.
Private buses as well as auto-rickshaws have also joined the strike at most of the places.
In Kerala, while the public transport service was not operating, private vehicles were seen on the roads. While the three international airports operations were going on, markets and malls across the state were closed.
Normal life was largely not affected in Tamil Nadu. Public transport buses plied on the roads but in less numbers. Educational institutions functioned as usual even school buses plied on the roads with students.
Inter-state buses to Kerala were halted at the state borders putting the passengers into difficulty.
Over 18 lakh state government employees in Uttar Pradesh joined the nationwide strike. All central trade unions, industrial federations and labour groups have extended their support to the strike.
Factories and cars were vandalised in Greater Noidia near Delhi.
In Tripura, shops, business establishments, markets, banks and financial institutions, government offices and educational institutions were closed and vehicles were off the roads. Railway services within the state and with other states were disrupted as shutdown supporters organised picketing at the Agartala railway stations and Dharmanagar.
Trade between Tripura and Bangladesh was also affected as the workers remained absent in the land customs stations along Bangladesh.
Banks and commercial establishments were closed across Himachal Pradesh on Friday after trade unions of central government employees joined the nationwide strike to protest violation of labour laws and privatisation.
Most of the private hotels and hydropower projects, banks and government insurance companies, as well as the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) were badly hit as their employees went on a day-long strike.State-run Himachal Road Transport Corporation, however, did not participate in the shutdown.
Assocham estimates the loss on the day would be to a whooping Rs 15,000-20,000 crore.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led trade union has termed the strike uncalled-for and urged the people to reject it.