Pvt bus operators in Kerala to go ahead with strike
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Private bus operators have decided to go ahead with the strike on October 31 after Transport Minister Antony Raju refused to budge on their demands. Bus owners, under the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation (KSPBOF), criticised the lack of initiative on the part of the minister to discuss the issue.
“We demand an increase in students’ ticket fare and the reinstatement of the bus permits taken away from us. The minister is silent on both these issues. Instead, he tried to deviate the topic to seat belts and cameras,” said T Gopinathan, general convenor of KSPBOF.
The organisation leaders even accused the minister of trying to scuttle students’ fare hikes on previous occasions, too. Bus owners have been demanding an increase in students’ ticket fares since March 24, 2021. They demand the minimum concession fare be fixed at `6. The rate was last fixed at `2 in 2012.
Though the Justice Ramachandran Commission recommended increasing students’ fares along with the general hike in May 2022, the state government decided to appoint another committee headed by Planning Board member K Ravi Raman to study the recommendation on students’ fares.
Antony said the committee studying the recommendation is yet to submit its report. The minister issued a statement on October 28, making seat belts and cameras mandatory for obtaining fitness certificates from November 1.
KSPBOF members said they are not against seat belts and cameras. “Before making seat belts mandatory, the government should consider the practical aspects. It is the women and children who sit in the front row, in addition to the driver. It may not be possible always to insist they wear seat belts. If they refuse to do so, it will not be feasible for us to pay a fine to the motor vehicle department,” said Gopinathan.