With 12,000 private buses in Kerala keeping off the road following the lockdown enforced to check the spread of COVID-19, their operators have sought a substantial relief package from the State government to make good the loss they incurred and to recondition their buses to resume operations when the lockdown is scaled down.
Like the approximately one lakh bus workers, the operators too are severely affected by the crisis. All the more since around 70% of the owners are employed as crew in their own bus services. “This is apart from the nearly one lakh people indirectly employed in the sector, at workshops, shops selling spare parts, etc.,” says T. Gopinathan, general secretary, All Kerala Bus Operators’ Organisation.
“Apart from ferrying around one crore commuters daily, the private bus industry contributes nearly ₹200 crore to the government in the form of vehicle tax every year. In addition, the State and Centre get approximately ₹1,200 per bus every day as sales tax on diesel. This alone works out to around ₹1.50 crore a day. All this must be accounted for while announcing a relief package,” he says.
Woes galore
Mr. Gopinathan says most buses are parked on open grounds or fields and the summer heat would have affected the condition of tyres. This situation arose because the lockdown was announced sans notice and the vehicles would have to undergo extensive repairs. All this would entail an expense of nearly ₹30,000 per bus. Yet another ₹30,000 would have to be paid per bus as quarterly tax. All this was recently communicated to the Planning Board, in response to a questionnaire sent by the agency, he adds.
“Even worse, only one commuter can be accommodated in a seat, to ensure social distancing. And people might not prefer private bus services as their mode of travel for a long time even after the lockdown is lifted owing to the virus scare,” says Lawrence Babu, secretary, Kerala State Private Bus Operators’ Federation. He demands fixing of higher fare for the period when only one passenger will be permitted on a seat.
The payment of vehicle tax should be eliminated from April 2020 to March 2021, as has been granted to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. The sales tax on diesel must be reduced for private buses. The government must also announce a one-year interest-free moratorium on vehicle loans, they say.
Mr. Gopinathan says the government must pay the contribution of bus operators and workers to the Motor Transport Workers Welfare Fund for a year.
