Thiruvananthapuram: Private buses across Kerala went off the roads on Tuesday leaving commuters in distress after bus owners began a one-day strike.
The Kerala Private Bus Owners' Federation called for the day-long strike raising various demands including a hike in students' concession rate and withdrawal of an order demanding mandatory installation of surveillance cameras and seat belts inside the buses. Bus owners have declared that they will go on an indefinite strike from November 21 if the government fails to meet their demands.
Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju criticised the decision to go on roads when the state is witnessing an influx of Sabarimala devotees from across India.
The Kerala Transport Department has made seat belts and surveillance cameras mandatory for issuing fitness certificates for heavy vehicles from November 1. Seatbelts are mandatory for all those seated on the front part of the buses. The order is applicable to all heavy vehicles, including stage carriers and KSRTC buses. Private bus owners are seeking an extension of this deadline.
Over 8,000 private buses are operating services across Kerala. Though KSRTC is operating additional services on Tuesday, the strike will affect those who depend on private buses, especially in the northern part of Kerala.
For people who travel on the Kozhikode-Kannur route, this is the second consecutive day of bus strike. On Monday, employees of private buses on the Thalassery-Thottilpalalam and Vadakara-Thottilpalam routes called for a flash strike after the police booked one of their colleagues in a POCSO case.
