Private bus operators in the State have decided to go on an indefinite strike from June 7 midnight demanding retention of the existing permits of private buses and revision in student bus concession, among other things.
A meeting of the joint action committee of private bus operators held in Ernakulam on Tuesday decided to go on strike to press their demands.
Speaking to The Hindu, T. Gopinathan, general convener of the joint committee, said the strike was not against the people but for the survival of the private bus industry.
The State government has issued a notification preventing private buses from plying on routes beyond 140 km of their area of operation. This will sound the death knell for the private bus industry, which has already been reeling under severe loss, said Mr. Gopinathan.
The major demand of the unions is that the existing permits of private buses be retained and it should not be annulled for the benefit of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. Further, the minimum student concession should be fixed at ₹5 and increase the concession to 50% of the ticket fare. Also, an age limit should be set for student concession.
Last time when the private bus operators announced the strike, the State government had sought three months’ time to study the student concession issue and later appointed a commission to study the proposal.
Even after one year, no formal decision has been taken to this effect. It is against this backdrop that the operators announced the strike. The representatives of private bus operators will meet Transport Minister Antony Raju here on Wednesday to take up their demands.
