THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tourist bus operators in Kerala were eagerly awaiting Diwali. The rush of tourists normally experienced during the festival season would have given them the push required to tide over the lull caused due to the pandemic. However, the government’s strict enforcement of colour code for contract carriages post the Vadakkencherry bus accident has dimmed operators’ hopes.
The operators complained that the court orders to comply with the colour code and enforcement drives by the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) following the accident, in which nine people died, have led to cancellations or causing inconvenience to tourists.
“We were not given enough time to comply with the rules. We needed some relaxation as the industry was slowly recovering from the impact of the pandemic,” said Contract Carriage Operators Association (CCOA) general secretary S Prasanthan.
He said there were several cancellation this season due to shortage of buses, caused by the delay in getting tour permits. News of the Vadakkencherry bus accident that happened earlier this month also caused concern among tourists, he said.
An Ernakulam-based tour operator said the size of touring groups has also come down and many are opting for 17-seater vehicles which are easily available. Diwali tourism season in the state starts with the arrival of domestic tourists from mid-October. Traditionally, such tourists, coming as large groups from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kolkata, hire contract carriages for a tour package lasting at least 10 days. They are picked up from the railway station or the Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram airports in the contract carriages.
Meanwhile, Sanjeev Kumar, the president of Confederation of Accredited Tour Operators, said recognised tour operators had not seen much drop in demand. “Some bus operators double up as tour operators without obtaining any licence. They might have suffered this season. Most of the buses used for tourists from outside comply with the colour code,” he said. “However, stringent enforcement during the season is a cause for concern. Inconvenience caused to tourists during the trip will end up hurting the industry,” he said.
The MVD launched Operation Focus 3 to enforce the rules and guidelines for contract carriages in the wake of Vadakkencherry accident. The High Court too had told the MVD to deal with rule violations strictly.
Assn blames MVD for tour operator’s death
Abdul Kalam Harif C K, who had been a tour bus operator for 30 years in Kasaragod, died of a heart attack on Thursday. The Contract Carriage Operators Association (CCOA) alleged he had faced harassment by the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD). “Abdul, who owned around 15 buses, had been upset as he could not get fitness certificates for the vehicles.
The officers had turned down his application citing flimsy reasons,” alleged a bus operator. CCOA president Binu John said some bus operators were on the verge of suicide due to revenue loss. Citing MVD excesses, he said there were instances where MVD officials forced passengers to get out of the bus to cancel the vehicle’s fitness certificate,” he said.
Meanwhile, the MVD formed a super inspection squad of 10 officers on Thursday. The squad can issue stop memos — on tests for certificate of fitness, driving tests, dealerships, driving schools, pollution testing centres — which can be reviewed only by the transport commissioner.