Kerala private bus operators announce indefinite strike from 3 November over free travel scheme for women

The operators also say that the government has not discussed their demands for the survival of the private bus industry. A special commission appointed on 2 September made recommendations to deal with the sector's losses, but the operators say that none of them has been accepted or put into effect. They object to the government's decision to appoint another commission, and want immediate action instead.

They make a further charge, which the government has not commented on in the reports. They allege that the Transport Minister is buying buses with money from wealthy individuals, cooperative societies and the development funds of members of the legislature, and running them on routes that private buses serve. They say that the Transport department works mainly for the state-run corporation.

What they are asking for

The demands that the operators have listed are:

• an increase in the minimum bus fare to Rs 15;
• a student concession fixed at 50 per cent of the regular ticket fare;
• the extension of free travel for women to private buses, with the government compensating the operators for the cost;
• early action on the recommendations of the commission.

A separate body, the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation, has announced a hunger strike in front of the state Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, starting on 27 October.

The reports differ on the talks. Some say that the discussion with the minister on 10 October failed, while others say that the operators complained that the government had not held discussions with them on the problems of private buses. Both can be true, if the operators' complaint is that the meeting produced nothing. The government's position, as far as the reports show, is that it has decided to appoint another commission to look into the problems.

Private buses carry a large share of the passengers in Kerala, particularly on the routes between towns and in the districts where the state corporation's services are fewer. A strike by the private operators would mainly affect commuters, students and workers who rely on them, and it would put pressure on the state-run buses, which would have to carry more people.

The timing is important for students and for people travelling for the festival season, and the government will have to decide whether to negotiate or to lay on extra services. In past strikes of this kind in Kerala, the government has sometimes reached a settlement, which usually includes an assurance on fares, and the strike has been called off. The reports do not say that the 3 November strike has started, been called off or been put back.

The next days will show whether the government and the operators talk again. The minimum fare is a decision for the government, and it affects every passenger, so any increase would be controversial. The compensation for free rides would be a cost to the state budget. The question of the commission's recommendations could offer a way out if the government agrees to carry out some of them.

Passengers who plan to travel after 3 November should watch for announcements from the operators and the transport department, and should keep other options ready, such as trains and the state-run buses.