Private bus operators in Kerala plan indefinite strike from July 22

Private bus operators in the State will go on an indefinite strike from July 22, raising various demands, including revision of student concession.

The bus owners announced the decision to go ahead with the strike plan after talks held between the Joint Committee of Bus Owners and Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar on Wednesday failed to yield any result.

After the talks, one association of bus operators decided to drop the strike plan. However, the majority of the operator associations decided to go ahead with the strike plan after their major demands were not addressed by the government.

Their key demands include revision of student concession rates, renewal of expired permits, withdrawal of directives converting limited-stop buses into ordinary services, and police clearance certificates for bus workers, among others.

After the meeting, the Minister told the media that the government had directed the Transport Secretary to hold discussions with students’ outfits with regard to revising the student concession and submit a report in two weeks.

A decision on the request to allow permits for private buses beyond 140 km can be taken up only after discussing the matter with the Chief Minister, he said. The Minister also admitted that a small hike in student fare had to be allowed to save the private bus industry.

Later, Hamsa Erikkunnan, chairman of the Joint Committee of Bus Owners, told the media that any decision without revising the students’ concession cannot be agreed upon.