Private bus operators reject expert panel recomendations; warns of strike
Private bus operators in Kerala have rejected an expert panel's recommendations regarding the impact of the state's free ride scheme. The operators are threatening a strike unless their demands for fare revisions, diesel subsidies, and zero-ticketing policies are addressed.
Why it matters
The potential strike threatens to disrupt public transportation for thousands of commuters in Kerala, highlighting the economic strain on private transit providers.
A meeting of the All Kerala Bus Operators Organisation held on Thursday (September 3, 2026) termed the report submitted by an expert panel constituted by the State government to reduce the impact of the Priyadarshini free ride scheme on the private bus sector incapable of addressing their concerns.
The operators have been demanding zero ticketing for women, similar to the system implemented on ordinary buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), in private buses as well. Further, the subsidy for diesel sought by private bus operators was not considered by the expert committee, the meeting opined.
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