Private bus owners' strike unnecessary, a gimmick: Minister Antony Raju

A woman protester taking part in a march organised by the Kannur District Bus Operators' Association, as part of the indefinite strike, with a model of a private bus placed on her head. Harilal S S. Manorama

Thiruvananthapuram: Minister for Transport Antony Raju has called the indefinite strike taken out by a section of private bus owners unnecessary. He said the owners should not have staged a protest while exams are going on.

The bus operators, whose indefinite strike took effect on Wednesday midnight, have been raising several demands, including a hike in bus fares. They claim the government has not taken any steps to address their concerns, despite the minister promising to solve all their problems four months ago.

Calling the strike a gimmick, Raju said, “It's already been decided to hike bus fares as promised. But they (bus operators) want to make it look like it's the result of their relentless protests.”

The president of the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation Sathyan, told PTI that a notice regarding the proposed strike was given to the government over two weeks ago and till date no one has engaged in discussions on the issue.

Their major demand is that the minimum charge for a trip be raised to Rs 12. Other demands include hiking students' minimum fare to Rs 6, exemption from vehicle tax until the pandemic is over and the reimbursement of the same paid during the Covid period.

Raju, the other day, had acknowledged that a fare hike was inevitable. The private bus sector was badly hit owing to the lockdowns and rising fuel prices.

(With inputs from PTI)

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