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Kerala Private Bus Operators Threaten Indefinite Strike From November 3 Over Fare Hikes
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CNBC TV18•16-10-2026, 16:32
Kerala Private Bus Operators Threaten Indefinite Strike From November 3 Over Fare Hikes
- •Private bus operators in Keralam have announced an indefinite strike starting November 3 to demand a fare hike and other reliefs.
- •The All Kerala Bus Operators Association stated they have suffered losses exceeding Rs 800 crore due to free travel for women on KSRTC buses under the Priyadarshini scheme.
- •Operators are demanding that the minimum bus fare be increased to Rs 15 and student concessions be fixed at 50 percent of the regular ticket price.
- •The Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation will also stage a hunger strike in front of the state Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram beginning October 27.
Key Questions Answered
Private bus operators in Keralam have threatened to launch an indefinite strike beginning on November 3 over unmet demands regarding fare hikes and concessions.
The primary demands include increasing the minimum bus fare to Rs 15, fixing student concession fares at 50 percent of the regular ticket price, and extending free travel for women to private buses with government compensation.
Operators claim to have suffered losses exceeding Rs 800 crore since the introduction of the Priyadarshini scheme, which provides free travel for women on state-run KSRTC ordinary buses.
