'Free travel for women on private buses, student concession fare should be increased'; private bus owners hold talks with minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Private bus owners on Monday held talks with Transport Minister C P John to discuss issues affecting the private bus sector. The meeting was held at the Transport Commissioner's office in Thiruvananthapuram. Bus owners had earlier complained that the implementation of the Priyadarshini scheme had caused heavy financial losses to private bus services. Following these complaints, the government invited them for discussions.

The main demand of the private bus owners is that women should be allowed to travel free on private buses as well, with the government reimbursing the ticket fare. They also requested diesel subsidies and an increase in the student concession fare. The owners warned that if the talks do not lead to a decision, they will move ahead with a token strike. They also said that several private bus services have already been stopped in different areas after the Priyadarshini scheme was introduced.

Earlier, the Transport Minister had said that private bus operators should explore other sources of income. Meanwhile, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest outside the Kalpetta RTO office in Wayanad against private buses increasing student concession fares. The protesters demanded action against bus operators for allegedly collecting extra money from students.