Kochi: As trade unions are observing a nationwide general strike on Wednesday, protesters blocked KSRTC buses in Kochi and Kollam. In Kochi, a low-floor bus to Kozhikode was blocked by CITU workers.

Speaking to Manorama News, the bus workers claimed that the protesters obstructed the vehicle, which was scheduled to depart from the Ernakulam South KSRTC depot around 5.00 am. They said they are members of BMS and had decided not to cooperate with the general strike. They also alleged that police refused to assist them despite arriving at the depot.

In Kollam, CITU workers stopped a Swift bus en route to Amrita Hospital. Although some drivers and conductors reported for duty, they were unable to operate services due to the protests.

In Kozhikode, long-distance buses from other depots are running, but no services are being operated from the Kozhikode depot. Meanwhile, no KSRTC buses are operating in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. In visuals aired on news channels, passengers at the railway station were seen relying on police vehicles. Most of the passengers were patients heading to RCC and other hospitals in the district. Some autorickshaws operated by BMS workers are plying in Thiruvananthapuram.

The authorities have declared dies non, preventing staff from taking leave on the Bharat Bandh day. On Tuesday, Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar had announced that KSRTC buses would run as usual, as no trade unions had officially confirmed participation in the strike. However, just hours later, KSRTC trade union leaders dismissed the minister’s claim and announced their decision to join the strike.