No change in private bus strike from July 22 as talks with Transport Minister fail

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Thiruvananthapuram: Private bus operators in Kerala have decided to go ahead with their indefinite strike from July 22 after the first round of talks with Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar yielded no results.
The three key demands raised by the bus operators remained unresolved during the discussions with the minister on Wednesday, said All Kerala Bus Operators organisation General Secretary T Gopinathan. However, he has not entirely ruled out the possibility of reaching a resolution before July 22.
Their key demands include a revision of student concession rates, renewal of expired permits without delay, and withdrawal of the directive converting limited-stop buses into ordinary services.
Gopinathan said the minister has proposed a meeting with operators and student organisations in the coming weeks to discuss the issue of student concessions. "The student organisations are unlikely to agree to the demand for a concession hike. I'm not hopeful about those talks," he said.
He also added that no decision was made regarding the renewal of permits for limited-stop buses. "The minister said the state government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on this issue. He declined to take a stand, citing the pending case in the apex court. He also added that any other development on the permits can only be taken after discussions with the Chief Minister. But what can we do, since most buses are off the roads due to lack of permits," Gopinathan asked.
He also criticised the government’s mandate requiring police clearance certificates for bus employees, calling it an added burden on operators. However, Gopinathan added that the minister agreed to take a favourable stance on other concerns raised, apart from their three key demands.
If the bus strike goes on as planned, it is expected to disrupt normal life as private buses are the only mode of transportation in many remote areas of the state.