THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Upset by the delay in announcing a hike in bus fares even after Transport Minister Antony Raju’s discussions with the stakeholders, private bus operators in the state have announced their decision to go ahead with an indefinite strike from December 21.
The minister had earlier held talks with private bus owners, students’ unions as well as the Justice M Ramachandran Commission -- a single-man commission tasked with finding ways to address problems in the sector.
“We have demanded an increase in student concession fare, relaxation in road tax, and a general fare hike in proportion to the rise in expenses. However, the government has been delaying the decision for more than a month and ignoring our problems,” said Lawrence Babu, chairman of Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation.