Keralam private bus operators announce indefinite strike from Nov 3

Palakkad , Private bus operators in Keralam on Tuesday announced an indefinite strike from November 3, alleging that the government had failed to address their losses following the introduction of the Priyadarshini service by the state-run KSRTC.

The decision was taken at a joint meeting of private bus owners held here, the operators said at a press conference.

They said discussions with Transport Minister C P John on October 10 had failed to yield a favourable outcome, leaving them with no option but to suspend services indefinitely.

The operators alleged that the Transport minister was procuring buses with contributions from wealthy private individuals, cooperative societies and MLAs' asset development funds, among other sources, and operating them on routes served by private buses.

They said the government had failed to discuss any of their demands aimed at ensuring the survival of the private bus industry, forcing them to resort to an indefinite strike.

They warned that all private buses would remain off the roads from November 3 unless the government took a decision on their demands.

The operators said a special commission appointed by the government on September 2 had submitted recommendations to address the losses suffered by the private bus sector. However, they alleged that the government had made no effort to accept or implement any of the recommendations.

They said they had tried to avoid a strike, keeping in mind the inconvenience it would cause passengers, but accused the government of being unwilling to support the sector.

They alleged that the Transport department was functioning solely for the benefit of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.

The joint committee said it would not accept the government's decision to appoint another commission to examine the problems faced by private bus operators, arguing that immediate solutions were needed instead of another panel.

The operators claimed that the introduction of the Priyadarshini service, which offers free travel for women on ordinary KSRTC buses, had caused losses of ₹12 crore to the private bus sector in four months.

The Priyadarshini scheme offers free travel to women and transgender persons on ordinary KSRTC buses.

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