Bengaluru: Malayali passengers faced difficulties in Bengaluru as the strike by interstate private buses began. Those who had booked tickets for Monday’s travel were left stranded. With buses off the roads, booked tickets were cancelled, forcing passengers to look for alternative arrangements. Tickets were also limited on KSRTC buses, and by evening most KSRTC buses were fully booked.

Most interstate private buses operating from Bengaluru to various destinations in Kerala, including Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Kannur and Palakkad, have suspended services as part of the strike. Over 200 interstate buses to Kerala were affected.

The strike was called by the Luxury Bus Owners’ Association in protest against the imposition of unfair taxes, fines and vehicle confiscations on buses holding All India Tourist Permits in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Buses from Kerala to Karnataka also stopped operations.

Private buses from Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and Telangana halted interstate services from Monday. Private buses from Tamil Nadu to Kerala have suspended services since Friday. Eight associations of private bus operators in South India suspended interstate services completely from Monday.

The protest is against neighbouring states levying taxes over and above the road tax on buses with All India Permits. Tamil Nadu Omni Bus Owners Association president A Anbazhagan demanded that the Central Government issue special permits to avoid paying separate taxes in each state.

According to him, buses pay ₹90,000 for an All India Permit valid for three months. Tamil Nadu collects around ₹1,50,000 as road tax, and an additional ₹2,00,000 is charged again when the same buses enter Kerala or Tamil Nadu. Bus owners claim this is an excessive burden.