Commuters in Kerala may face major disruptions on Tuesday (July 8) as private bus operators across the state have called for a strike. The protest, announced by the Joint Committee of Bus Owners' Associations, follows a breakdown in negotiations with the Transport Commissioner. The one-day protest is likely to cause widespread disruption, particularly in remote regions where private buses serve as the primary means of transportation.
What are the operators' demands?
As per details, the bus operators are raising a series of pressing demands, including timely renewal of permits, a hike in student concession fares, and the withdrawal of mandatory police clearance certificates required for employees. They have also voiced strong opposition to the hefty penalties being issued through the e-challan system and are demanding a rollback of expensive electronic equipment that has been made compulsory for buses. They also called on the administration to urgently repair deteriorating roads across the state and ease the stringent enforcement of penalty regulations, which they say are unfairly burdening their operations.
Private bus operators threaten to go on indefinite strike
Leaders of the committee stated that the strike is a warning shot. If meaningful dialogue does not resume and concrete solutions aren’t offered within a week, they have also threatened to escalate their protest into an indefinite strike from July 22.
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