The second day of the indefinite strike by private bus operators demanding a fare hike affected normal life across the State on Friday, leaving commuters stranded for hours at various places, even as the government made no move for a negotiated settlement.
Students who had examinations and classes were the worst affected. The weekend rush only worsened the plight of the travelling public, especially in the northern districts that are heavily reliant on private bus services.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operated 3,951 services to address the issue, an increase of 700 over the normal. The corporation claimed to have operated more buses in the sectors dominated by private buses. Most of the services were packed with commuters anxious to make it to home for the weekend. Travellers who arrived from other States were caught unawares by the strike and had to depend on other modes of transport.
In Thiruvananthapuram city, private buses plied as usual for the reason that they were given permission by the High Court subject to the condition that they stay away from strikes.
While Transport Minister Antony Raju said the strike was unwarranted, given that the government was in favour of hiking ticket fares, private bus operators assert that the government had done little to avert the strike, despite being issued notice in advance. A meeting of the ruling Left Democratic Front on March 30 is scheduled to take a decision on increasing fares.
