Private operators in Kerala oppose free bus travel plan

Palakkad: Private bus operators have opposed UDF's proposed ‘Indira Guarantee' scheme offering free travel for women in KSRTC buses, warning that the move would push the private transport sector into a major crisis and affect lakhs of workers. All Kerala Bus Operators Organization state general secretary T Gopinathan said the govt should hold discussions with private operators before implementing the scheme. He alleged that a similar free travel scheme introduced in Karnataka had severely affected private bus owners there. "Many bus owners who invested Rs 30-40 lakh in vehicles are now forced to sell them for Rs 10-15 lakh. The govt must consider the future of private operators and workers in the sector," he said. According to the organization, KSRTC operates around 3,500 buses, while nearly 9,000 private buses are running across the state. They claimed that private buses carry more passengers during peak hours and that women constitute a major share of daily passengers. "Of the more than one lakh passengers travelling daily in private buses, around 70,000 are women. The remaining passengers are mostly students travelling on concessional fares. If women are given free travel in KSRTC buses, entire families will shift to KSRTC services, affecting private bus operations further," Gopinathan said. The organization warned that private buses would become financially unviable if the scheme is implemented without safeguards for the sector. Rising fuel prices and operational expenses have already placed the industry under severe pressure, they added. Bus operators also alleged that political parties announce such welfare promises for electoral gains without assessing their impact on existing public transport operators. They demanded that the govt announce a special package for the private bus sector if the free travel scheme is introduced.