Strike by inter-State buses leaves commuters stranded

Protest against Operation Night Riders launched by MVD

Vyttila Junction, the main hub for inter-State luxury buses, was less crowded on Monday, with over 400 buses from the State, including those that begin trips from here, keeping off the road to protest against Operation Night Riders launched by the Motor Vehicles Department.

The special enforcement drive and intensive checking were launched in the wake of a dozen workers of Kallada Travels unleashing a brutal assault in front of its Vyttila office on three passengers of a Bengaluru-bound bus who protested against the inordinate delay in the arrival of an alternative bus to replace the one that broke down.

The protesting bus owners were heeding to a call from the Interstate Bus Owners Association (IBOA)-Kerala, to keep off the road for an indefinite period from Monday.

With talks convened by the State government in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday failing, IBOA State president Manoj Padikkal said the agitation was launched because the MVD was imposing fines of up to ₹10,000 per bus per trip, citing the violation of permit and other conditions. “We also have to pay hefty amounts as road tax each year. All buses are being penalised for the high-handedness of an operator or two,” he said.

Kallada Travels was in the news once again last week after a woman passenger complained that the driver had attempted to molest her on board a bus.

"Many people, especially from other States, came to my office seeking tickets for inter-State buses on Monday evening. They had to be turned away, with the advice to reach Coimbatore and then take a bus of their choice,” said Titus Etturuthil, a bus operator at Vyttila. All trips had been cancelled, he said.

RTC buses, trains

The strike has resulted in buses of both Kerala and Karnataka RTCs operating packed to capacity. An increase in the demand for trains to Bengaluru and Chennai can be known only by Tuesday. “Most commuters would have travelled to these places on Sunday itself, before the strike began. The Southern Railway head office would have to take a call on augmenting coaches in existing trains or to operate more trains, depending on demand,” said a senior Railway official.