PATHANAMTHITTA: As passengers boarded a few private buses in Pathanamthitta on Wednesday, conductors greeted them with an unusual sales pitch. Instead of just issuing tickets, they were offering packets of murukku, achappam and kuzhalappam.
The sale of traditional snacks was not a business diversification but a symbolic protest against the mounting losses suffered by private bus operators, which they say worsened after the state introduced the Priyadarshini free bus service for women.
The workers said they were responding to the transport minister's recent suggestion that private bus operators should find alternative ways to increase their revenue. Taking the remark literally, they decided to sell homemade snacks during their trips to highlight the deepening financial crisis in the private bus sector.
"We are not selling snacks to make money. We want to show the government what kind of alternative income a private bus can realistically generate," said a conductor participating in the protest.
Bus workers questioned the practicality of suggestions such as earning through advertisements.
"The minister said we should bring advertisements for additional income. Today, when everyone is with mobile phones and there are lakhs of vloggers and content creators, what advertisement can we possibly generate inside a private bus?" asked a worker.
According to private bus employees, the industry's decline accelerated after the Covid pandemic. Many regular commuters shifted to two-wheelers, while school and college students increasingly prefer KSRTC services, including the Priyadarshini buses.
Riyas, a private bus worker, said only elderly passengers and those without personal vehicles now depend on private buses.
"There were around 408 private buses operating from the Pathanamthitta bus stand in 2007-08. Today, the number has come down to nearly 200. The decline has affected not just bus operators but every business around the bus stand, from tea shops to medical stores," he said.
Bosses driving for survival
Aneesh Hassan, treasurer of the Private Bus Operators' Association, Pathanamthitta district, owns three buses operating under the name 'Al Madeena'. Unable to bear mounting expenses, he now drives one of the buses himself, while his cousin and brother drive the other two.
"Earlier, we could pay employees around Rs 1,200 a day. Now, I can't even afford half of that. Many workers have left for better-paying jobs. Those who remain have stayed with us out of loyalty," he said.
According to Aneesh, although the reduction in motor vehicle tax has provided some relief, rising diesel prices, maintenance costs and dwindling passenger numbers continue to push operators deeper into losses. The snack sale is not about murukku or achappam. It is a plea for survival, he said.