The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Private buses keep off the roads

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Friday, Oct 31, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Private buses keep off the roads

Staff Reporter

Operators threaten strike from November 11

2,500 buses, including 650 city buses
strike work in Ernakulam district
KSRTC operates 100 new services in district

KOCHI: It was a hard day for Vishnu P.R., the first semester engineering student at the Cochin University of Science and Technology. He had to struggle to find a footspace inside the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus from Aroor, which was filled much more than its capacity on Thursday. He was a representative of the common man who had to make best of the services operated by the KSRTC as the private buses kept off the road.

Token protest

The private buses did not operate as a token protest against the State government decision not to renew permits for private buses on 31 nationalised routes.

The suggestion to issue temporary permits at the last meeting was rejected by the bus operators. All the 2,500-odd buses operating in the district, include nearly 650 city buses, kept off the road on Thursday, said M.B. Satyan, general secretary, District Private Bus Operators’ Association.

The operators have decided to go ahead with the indefinite strike called from November 11, if there is no change in the official stand. K.A. Najeeb, president of Bus Transport Association of Kerala, said that the decision to join the indefinite strike will be taken only after the central committee meeting to be held in Thrissur on November 5.

Meanwhile, the KSRTC operated more than 100 new services to different sectors in the district to meet the requirements of passengers. None of the rural services were cancelled.

Instead, inter-district services to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram were curtailed and these buses and staff were used to operate services to other sectors, said Joseph Stanley, control inspector, KSRTC.

Circular bus services

Circular bus services, Vytilla-Thripunithura-Irumpanam-Kakkanad and Kaloor-Palarivattom-Pipeline-Kakkanad routes, were operated for those in the industrial areas.

Similarly, buses were operated to Kumbalanghi, Poothotta, Panangad and Fort Kochi areas.

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