KOCHI: Though the assault on passengers by the staff of Kallada Travels has drawn protests from various corners, the commuters have no other option other than travel on these buses to reach their inter-state destinations. Despite police action, Kallada travels operated its services as usual and all the trips witnessed heavy rush. When its office on Chittoor Road was contacted, the staff said seats were available only on the bus scheduled to leave at 8.45 pm from Kochi on Wednesday while others were fully booked. According to the commuters, they have no other options as there is a heavy rush in trains and they could not rely on KSRTC inter-state services.
“There are no alternatives hence we all are forced to rely on these services despite being aware of the plights, including misbehaviour, from the staffs,” said Bharat M S, who is working in Bengaluru. According to the commuters, the trains were running late with a heavy rush. Though KSRTC is operating many services to Bengaluru and other destinations outside the state, it could not garner the trust of the commuters so far. Meanwhile, a KSRTC top officer said, there was no rise in the number of passengers in the inter-state services following the Kallada issue. “There is an unholy nexus between these travel groups and authorities.
Their notorious hooliganism is being ignored by police and others,” said a commuter requesting anonymity. The passengers cited those who complained against Kallada Travels are receiving threats. Arjun, the passenger who was thrashed by the bus staff, said that he was still receiving threat calls. Since protests are brewing on social media, Kallada Travels sent messages to its customers citing their service to all routes are going smoothly.