. A section of private bus operators will strike work on August 30 in protest against the increase in tax based on total floor area of each bus.
“The tax was hitherto calculated on the basis of the number of seats. We will resort to indefinite strike unless our grievances are redressed,” said Lawrence Babu, chairman of Private Bus Operators’ Confederation here on Saturday. He said that each bus would have to pay Rs.5,000 to Rs.11,000 extra under the new tax regime.
The private bus industry is already reeling under the impact of hike in prices of spare parts and insurance premium, he said.
Buses operated by owners having membership with the All Kerala Bus Operators’ Coordination Committee, a conclave of four organisations will not join the strike, said its general secretary T. Gopinathan. “We will resort to a strike only if talks with the Transport Minister fail. We do not want to inconvenience commuters since bus workers would participate in a national strike called by labour unions,” he said.
