Kochi: Private buses will go on an indefinite strike from Friday protesting against the state government refusing to increase the minimum ordinary fare to Rs 10 and leaving the student fares untouched. A meet of the joint coordination committee of 12 bus owners' associations covering almost all private buses here on Thursday also decided to a hold a hunger strike before the secretariat on Monday.
Though the government on Wednesday had increased minimum charges from Rs 7 to Rs 8, they say it would make no difference and wouldn’t help bail out the “sinking sector”. “We won’t accept the meagre increase aimed at helping the KSRTC,” said Lawrence Babu, the coordination committee president and general secretary of Kerala State Private Bus Operators' Federation.
“We will continue the strike until the government fixes the minimum fare at Rs 10. All private buses, including city and mofussil services, will go off the road.” “Nearly 60 percent of passengers are students. But the government didn’t revise their minimum fare.” said T. Gopinath, general secretary of the All Kerala Bus Operators Organisation.
