A strike by a section of private bus operators hit normal life in the district on Friday. The strike was called by the Bus Operators’ Association which represents most operators in the district. However, bus operators under Bus Operators’ Organisation ran with police protection.
Areas like Kumarakom, Manarcadu, Ayarkunnam, Pallickathode, Karukachal, and Thiruvanchoor suffered most since they are served primarily by private buses.
Meanwhile, efforts of the KSRTC to press more buses into service met with little success for lack of enough personnel. However, the KSRTC operated additional services to Kottayam Government Medical College bringing solace to patients.
According to K.S. Suresh, general secretary, Bus Operators’ Association, out of the 1,150 private buses plying in the district, fewer than 30 operated on Friday. The striking bus operators had raised five demands mainly, including hike in fare; withdrawal of the decision not to renew private bus permits for services operating for more than 140 km; cancellation of the new taxation system based on floor area instead of the former which was based on the number of seats; and bringing petroleum products under GST.
Meanwhile, the police have beefed up security by deploying personnel in bus stands and bus stops. The police said no untoward incident related to the bus strike had been reported.
