Kochi : Private bus operators in Ernakulam staged a torchlight march and dharna at the Vyttila hub KSRTC bus station on Wednesday evening to protest against the state govt’s Priyadarshini scheme.
“Our daily revenues have plummeted, forcing around 400 private buses to cease operations. The scheme places an extra daily burden of Rs 2.5 crore on the state exchequer, ultimately harming the public transport network,” Najeeb said. He noted that the total number of private buses operating across Kerala has drastically fallen from 35,000 a decade ago to around 10,000 today. Key demands include extending the free travel scheme to private buses, with direct govt reimbursement for ticket costs, or providing compensation for revenue losses, hiking the minimum bus fare to Rs 15 to cope with rising operational costs and diesel prices, and revising student concession fares to 50% of the regular ticket price. The protest forms part of statewide demonstrations ahead of an indefinite bus strike scheduled to begin on Nov 3.
You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi Stay updated with the latest Kochi news. The demonstration was inaugurated by Kerala Bus Transport Association (KBTA) state president K A Najeeb. He highlighted the severe financial strain on private operators since the launch of the scheme in June, which provides free travel for women on ordinary KSRTC buses. The operators urged govt to convene an urgent meeting to address their concerns. Download the TOI App.