Under a giant shed at the Himachal Road Transport Corporation’s Tara Devi depot, about 7 km from Shimla, more than 85 men waited patiently. Some sat on old benches. Others perched on discarded bus tyres. A few crouched in small groups, balancing files on their knees as they hurriedly complete paperwork.Among those waiting were Madan Lal, 37, from Arki in Solan district; Rajneesh Thakur, 28, from Chail; Ankush, 23, from Shimla’s Annandale area; and Piyush Verma, 29, from Tattapani in Mandi district. Like hundreds of others across Himachal Pradesh, they had answered a last-minute call from HRTC for walk-in interviews to recruit temporary bus drivers.The urgency was driven by a looming crisis. Around 5,500 HRTC drivers and conductors, under the banner of the HRTC Employees’ Association, had threatened to go on strike from midnight on Wednesday. Anticipating disruption to public transport services, the state government invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), while HRTC rushed to create a backup workforce.For many applicants, the advertisement appeared almost overnight.“I saw the notification on Facebook late last night while scrolling through my phone,” said Madan Lal. “Tara Devi is closer to Arki than Solan, so I came here.”For Madan, the journey has been much longer than a single night’s notice.Story continues below this adA Class XII pass candidate with an ITI diploma in Driver-cum-Mechanic trade, he has spent eight years trying to secure an HRTC driver’s job. He has appeared in recruitment tests three times, clearing the driving test twice but failing to make the final cut. His most recent attempt came in 2023, when HRTC advertised 336 posts before the recruitment process was later shelved.Yet he was back again on Wednesday, documents in hand.Nearby stood Pawan Kumar Sharma, 38, from Kunihar in Solan district. After more than a decade behind the wheel of private buses, he believed experience might finally work in his favour.“Twenty-five drivers will be selected from Tara Devi. Many who had cleared stages of the 2023 recruitment process have a good chance this time,” he said. “Driving a government bus is a serious responsibility. I believe experienced drivers will be preferred.”Story continues below this adAt the same time, he sympathised with the employees threatening to strike.“The government should address their demands. But public inconvenience should also be kept in mind,” he said.Across Himachal, similar scenes unfolded at 31 HRTC offices where walk-in interviews were held. By evening, around 2,100 applications had been received against 675 advertised posts.For Rajneesh Thakur, who arrived carrying an experience certificate issued by the Shimla Transport Union, the attraction of a government job remained as powerful as ever.Story continues below this ad“Who doesn’t want to work in the government sector?” he asked. “Whether it is contractual or daily wages, once you enter the system there is always hope of regularisation.”At Tara Devi alone, nearly 80 applications were received for 25 posts.Regional Manager RK Sharma said many applicants had already cleared driving tests during the abandoned 2023 recruitment exercise.“Preference will be given to experienced drivers,” he said. “Applicants must be matriculates, possess HTV and HMV licences and have at least three years of experience.”Story continues below this adBy late evening, however, the crisis that had triggered the recruitment drive had begun to fade.Following negotiations with the state government, the HRTC Employees’ Association called off its proposed strike after most of its demands were accepted. The only unresolved issue was the transfer of association president Maan Singh from Shimla to Chamba.Confirming the development, HRTC Managing Director Nipun Jindal said an agreement had been reached and the strike had been withdrawn.Yet the emergency recruitment exercise was not rendered meaningless.“We have selected around 650 temporary drivers today,” Jindal said. “The government is paying them Rs 750 each for attending a half-day training programme. Whenever an emergency situation arises, these selected drivers will be called upon to join duty.”Story continues below this adThe corporation had advertised a wage of Rs 1,500 per day for the temporary drivers.Jindal said the selected candidates were paid Rs 750 on Wednesday because they attended only a half-day training session.Commenting on the demand regarding Maan Singh’s transfer, Jindal said it was “a personal issue related to one individual” and not connected to the larger interests of the employees’ association.For HRTC, the agreement means normal bus services are expected to continue without disruption.Story continues below this adFor the men who spent the day waiting under leaking skies, clutching certificates and hoping for a break, the outcome was more complicated.The strike may have disappeared by nightfall.But the opportunity it created remains.Six hundred and fifty drivers now stand ready — recruited, trained and waiting for the next call.