• The School Bus Owners Association of Maharashtra has announced an indefinite strike across Maharashtra state starting on July 2.  
• The strike has been called to protest against the alleged unfair issuance of fines against school bus operators via e-challans, or electronic traffic violation tickets, and inadequate parking infrastructure at schools.  
• Other tourist bus operators are also reportedly slated to join the strike to protest the issuance of e-challans.  

1. The strike is anticipated to garner wide adherence, given the resonance of the issue among school bus operators statewide and growing pressure to seek action from the government. The strike is expected to cause significant travel disruptions to students and school staff, considering the heavy reliance on school buses by local commuters. In case of an absence of alternative measures, like online classes or altered schedules to accommodate the lack of transportation, increased road traffic congestion along major routes is likely in larger cities such as Mumbai and Pune, due to the heightened demand for autos, cabs, or private vehicles.  
2. While no protests have been announced at the time of writing, ad-hoc and spontaneous demonstrations cannot be ruled out in the vicinity of government buildings, including the Transport Ministry offices. The authorities are liable to bolster security measures in the vicinity of potential protest sites to monitor the proceedings, should they occur, including the deployment of additional police personnel and placement of barricades. There remains a latent risk of scuffles between the protesters and the police at such gatherings. This could result in the use of crowd control measures such as baton charges by the police to disperse the protesters. Disruptions to travel are likely in case such protests materialize on July 2 and over the coming days.  

Those operating or residing in Maharashtra on July 2 and over the coming days are advised to maintain vigilance due to the slated strike and associated risk of protests while allotting for travel disruptions.