Private bus operators in Keralam to take out march to Secretariat on October 14

Private bus operators in the State, under the aegis of the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation, will take out a march to the Secretariat on October 14, demanding measures to protect the private bus industry in the wake of the State government’s Priyadarshini free travel scheme.

The operators said the scheme had been implemented without adequate safeguards for private bus services, pushing them into a severe financial crisis. With operating expenses rising and earnings proving insufficient to meet costs, they said the absence of appropriate government intervention had further aggravated their difficulties.

Charter of demands

The federation’s charter of demands includes measures to protect private bus operators and employees affected by the scheme, a revision of bus fares, including student concession fares, to offset rising operating costs, and the withdrawal of the Transport Commissioner’s order mandating online-only timing conferences. It has also demanded the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the committee headed by K. Padmakumar.

The federation warned that it would launch an indefinite fast in front of the Secretariat in the last week of October if its demands were not met. It also threatened to suspend bus services across the State from the first of November if the government continued to ignore its grievances.