Bus services between Coimbatore and Kerala that remained suspended owing to stray incidents of violence on either side owing to the Mullaperiyar dam issue resumed after a gap of five days.
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) suspended the services from December 18 and Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) also suspended the services the same day following pelting of stones at vehicles on either side.
The buses were operated only up to the border, that is, Walayar where passengers used to alight and cross the bridge on foot and change buses.
ADVERTISEMENT
Following talks between two State transport corporation officials in Palakkad on Friday, KSRTC operated six buses in convoy from Palakkad to Coimbatore on Saturday. TNSTC buses were also operated from Coimbatore to Palakkad in batches of six buses with police escorts till Walayar.
Police in Kerala and Tamil Nadu provided escort to buses on either side.
ADVERTISEMENT
A transport official said that buses between the States were operated only from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. and buses will be escorted by the police in both the States till border. He added that safety of the bus crew and the passengers are important.
Depending on the situation over the next few days, normalisation of services would be ensured.
Superintendent of Police E.S. Uma said that over 70 police personnel were posted at Walayar check posts to prevent untoward incidents and bus services were operated with police escorts.
As many as 24 TNSTC buses were operated accounting for nearly 200 services and is paired by 13 buses from KSRTC.
KSRTC was operating 13 buses from Palakkad to Ukkadam everyday. KSRTC buses that pass through Coimbatore to Kerala from other districts had also been cancelled earlier.