Kochi: Private bus operators have again threatened an agitation to press for their demands. Buses in Kerala will be off the roads from December 21.
According to the United forum of the bus owners, they would go on strike since the Kerala Government did not keep the promise that all their demands would be met within a month.
The bus owners pointed out that they withdrew the strike scheduled for November 8 after the Transport Minister assured them at the conciliatory meeting held in Kottayam that a solution would be found to their existing issues before November 18. But nothing of that sort happened.
We have called for strike from December 21 because we are not in a position to continue with the bus service due to the exorbitant fuel and maintenance cost, the operators said.
Increase in the bus concession rate for students and exemption from paying vehicle tax for the COVID-19 lockdown period were some of the demands put forward by the united forum of bus owners before the State Government.