A private bus strike, called by the coordination committee of the bus owners and employees on Tuesday, was total in the district. However, the coordination committee called of the indefinite strike on the Thrissur-Palakkad National Highway 47 following a discussion with the District Collector.
No private buses operated service. However, private vehicles, including cars, tempo vans, and autorickshaws, compensated for them. All the arterial roads witnessed heavy traffic blocks, especially during school an office hours, as almost all private vehicles were out on the roads. Educational institutions, offices, and business establishments in the district functioned as usual. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operated additional services on busy routes.
The buses kept off the road expressing solidarity with the ongoing bus strike on Thrissur-Palakkad route in protest against the pathetic condition of the road. Private buses plying on the Thrissur-Palakkad route have been striking work for the last 13 days.
The bus owners said they were forced to protest as the authorities refused to repair the weather-beaten roads even after repeated requests.
They alleged that the killer potholes had rendered motoring next to impossible on the Thrissur-Palakkad National Highway 47. Heavy rain has washed away roads in many areas. Night-time travel was a nightmare. Though bus operators were paying a hefty tax and a share towards the bus workers’ welfare fund, the government was least bothered about providing motorable roads, they said.
The bus owners are also complaining about the quality of the ongoing repair work. The work was just an eye wash. Potholes would appear again within no time, they alleged.
