Private bus operators in the State who are demanding more concessions from the government to resume services have decided to allow bus operators who have not submitted Form G to start services from Wednesday.
“We are not satisfied with the 50% fare hike and waiver of road tax for buses. We do not want to cause hardship to passengers and the government in the prevailing conditions. Hence, we have asked the private bus owners who have not submitted Form G to resume services,” Lawrence Babu, chairman of the Joint Action Committee of Bus Owners, told The Hindu.
Of the 12,000 private buses, 10,600 had submitted Form G to avoid paying motor vehicle tax and action by the Road Transport Authority.
“We have asked the remaining buses to enter the road from Wednesday and operate intradistrict services from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” he said.
Mr. Babu, who is also the general secretary of the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation, said the bus operators would meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran on Wednesday here and convey their concerns.
Government’s permission to carry passengers up to 50% of the seating capacity would actually translate only to 33% of the passenger capacity. The passenger capacity of a 38-seater bus was 57.
The services were allowed only for 12 hours and all concessions were allowed on these special buses, general convener of the committee T. Gopinathan and vice chairman Gokuldas said.
More time was needed to commence services as the buses were remaining idle for 58 days and needed repairs, they said.
