Private bus strike near total in Kerala

The indefinite strike launched by private bus operators in the State since Wednesday midnight demanding fare revision has hit public transport, especially in north and central Kerala, where people rely on private buses heavily. Most private buses stayed off the road across the State on Thursday.

Though the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced that it will press more buses into service in view of the strike, the corporation’s additional services were skeletal in many districts.

Although the strike inconvenienced commuters, the State government did not reach out to the striking bus operators on Thursday. While stating that the strike would affect students who appear for various exams, Transport Minister Antony Raju told mediapersons that the bus operators should call off the strike since the government had already agreed to revise the fares.

Demands

According to sources, a decision is likely after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) meeting slated on March 30. The private operators have been demanding that the minimum fare be hiked to ₹12 from current ₹8, the student concession to ₹6 from ₹2 and per kilometre rate to ₹1.10. They have also demanded withdrawal of road tax during the pandemic period.

Meanwhile, the Private Bus Operators Federation has said that it will intensify its strike from Friday since the government has refused to hold talks with the operators. Hamsa Eerikunnan, State treasurer of the federation, said the strike on Thursday was total, except for a few services offered in Thiruvananthapuram.