Kerala private bus operators' hunger strike enters day 4, agitation to widen to other districts

An indefinite hunger strike by private bus operators in Kerala entered its fourth day on Friday (October 30), with the Kerala Bus Operators' Federation deciding to extend the protest to other districts after the State government declined to open talks with it.

The strike is being led by the federation's State president K.K. Thomas and vice-president Saranya Manoj. The federation's State committee, which met as the agitation continued, said the protest would be taken to districts across Kerala in the coming days.

The operators have placed three demands before the government: protection of the private bus industry, which they say has been hit by the free travel scheme for women and transgender persons on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses; implementation of the Padmakumar Commission report; and an increase in bus fares, including those for students.

The free travel scheme is a flagship welfare measure of the State government, which has described it as a step towards making public transport affordable and improving access to work, education and healthcare for women and transgender persons. Supporters of such schemes, introduced in several States, cite them as a way to improve women's mobility and their participation in the workforce.

Private operators, however, argue that the scheme has drawn passengers away from their services and added to the financial strain on the sector. Federation office-bearers have said that rising operational costs, including fuel and staff wages, along with falling patronage, have left many private services unviable. They maintain that a fare revision is necessary for their buses to remain on the road.

The federation has also demanded that the government implement the report of the Justice Padmakumar Commission, which examined issues relating to the private bus sector. The operators say the recommendations, if acted upon, would help stabilise the industry.

On student fares, the federation wants the concession structure revised. The demand is politically sensitive in Kerala, where concessional travel for students is widely seen as essential to access education, and any change is closely watched by student organisations and parents.

The federation said it had repeatedly sought discussions with the Transport Department, but no meeting had been arranged. There was no public comment from the department on the demand for talks.

The standoff places two legitimate claims in balance. The free travel scheme rests on the constitutional promise of equality and dignity, and on the State's responsibility to provide accessible public transport. Private operators, for their part, point to the viability of a service on which a large number of commuters, including those in rural areas, depend. How the government resolves the two will shape bus services across the State in the months ahead.

With the hunger strike now in its fourth day, the federation has said the agitation will continue indefinitely until the government invites it for discussions. The decision to spread the protest to other districts signals that the operators intend to raise the pressure, even as commuters wait to see whether the impasse is broken at the negotiating table.