Private buses find workaround to overcome ban on long route services, KSRTC files complaint

Thiruvananthapuram: Private buses have found a workaround to run on the exclusive routes granted to the KSRTC under the guise of a central policy. With this, the protection offered by the state to KSRTC has now been compromised.

The private bus operators have taken advantage of the central motor vehicles department’s move that eased down the All India Permit or National Permit (NP) norms. The union government amended the law in a manner that gave permission to private buses with NP to service any route without specific route permits. 

Through the Fleet Owners Act, Kerala had excluded private stage carriage services from long-distance routes. KSRTC was given a safeguard by reducing the maximum travel distance of ordinary buses to 140 km. These restrictions placed by the state can now be flouted with an NP. The permit will be granted within seven days of submitting an application online.

KSRTC has lodged a complaint against a private bus owner who runs an inter-state super express service bus between Pathanamthitta-Coimbatore with an All India Permit. The complaint is on the grounds of publicising the route through social media, the route board displayed on the bus, not following the colour code. The complaint also points out the use of the Ranni-Angamaly-Palakkad nationalised route. 

The 1,200 super class buses on nationalised routes are the main source of KSRTC’s income.