Private buses have been allowed to operate on week days from Friday adhering to the COVID-19 protocol and following the odd-even registration number pattern on alternate days.
The situation is not conducive for all private buses to enter the road and hence the operators should cooperate with the government, Transport Minister Antony Raju said on Thursday.
On June 18, Friday, private buses with odd registration numbers can operate. Next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, buses with even numbers can operate and on Tuesday and Thursday, those with odd numbers can run. On June 28, Monday, buses with odd registration numbers will be allowed to operate. The same odd-even pattern will be applicable for the subsequent days.
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There will be no services on Saturday and Sunday in view of the government’s decision to enforce Statewide lockdown to contain the pandemic, the Transport Minister said.
Operators oppose move
Kerala State Private Bus Operators’ Federation general secretary Lawerence Babu said the government’s decision was impractical and against precedence and the private bus operators could not go by the directive.
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“We were not consulted. Why did they not go for this concept for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation fleet ? How will we run the buses in this odd-even concept as buses are allowed to operate only for five days. The decision has been imposed on us and it will destroy the private bus industry that is reeling under crisis due to COVID-19. The decision is aimed at dividing the public and private sector and we cannot go by it,” he added.