Private bus owners urge Kerala govt to suspend Priyadarshini services during peak hours

Kakkanad: Private bus operators have urged the Kerala government to suspend KSRTC's Priyadarshini free-travel services during peak hours, saying the scheme has severely affected their revenue. They also demanded that the government extend financial assistance to the private bus sector on par with the support provided to KSRTC.

Representatives of private bus owners from central Kerala presented their concerns before an expert committee appointed by the government to study the impact of the Priyadarshini scheme on private operators. The committee held an evidence-gathering session at the Ernakulam Collectorate, attended by bus owners from Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Idukki and Kottayam districts.

The operators highlighted the sharp decline in collections after the Priyadarshini scheme was launched, compared to earnings before August 15. They argued that the 50% tax concession announced by the government is insufficient to offset their losses.

The bus owners said they would also be willing to offer free travel if the government reimburses them. They proposed installing biometric ticketing systems in buses to record passengers' fingerprints and issue free tickets, enabling the government to accurately reimburse operators for each journey.

They also demanded an immediate revision of student concession fares and regular bus fares.

Among their other demands were:

• Restrict KSRTC's rural services to interior routes where private buses do not operate.

• Provide diesel subsidies.

• Reduce the current 27% sales tax on diesel.

• Grant a full exemption from the annual road tax of around ₹50,000.

The operators further urged the government to lease private buses instead of purchasing new KSRTC buses. They also sought financial assistance from the welfare fund that has remained with the government since 1985, along with interest concessions on loan repayments.

The associations also requested that the mandatory staffing requirement for private buses be reduced from 3 employees to 2 to lessen their welfare fund liability.