Private bus operators in Kerala call for indefinite strike from July 22

The Bus Owners Joint Committee, a coalition of various bus owners' organisations in Kerala, has announced a statewide token strike on July 8, to be followed by an indefinite strike starting on July 22. The decision comes in protest against what they describe as the government’s continued inaction on their longstanding demands.

Key demands include the timely renewal of permits, an increase in student travel fares, withdrawal of the mandatory police clearance certificate requirement for staff, end to excessive e-challan fines, and the removal of compulsory high-cost electronic devices from vehicles.

The committee stated that repeated protests and appeals to the government have gone unanswered, forcing them to take stronger action. According to the bus owners, the number of private buses operating in the state has drastically declined -- from 34,000 fifteen years ago to fewer than 8,000 today -- which they attribute to the "unscientific" policies of the Transport Department.