Private bus operators in Kerala, after four days of agitating for fare hikes amid climbing fuel prices, have called off their strike. This came after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met with the operators, and assured them of fulfilling their demand. Private Bus Operators’ Association state coordinator, T Gopinathan, while speaking to the media after meeting CM Pinarayi Vijayan said, "The Chief Minister had assured us that there would be a hike in bus fares post the Left Democratic Front meeting to be held on March 30th, and after his assurance, we have decided to call off the strike."
The owners have demanded a hike in the fare for the public and also in the concessional fare for students. Besides, the operators have sought an increase in the per kilometre charge from the present 90 paise to Rs 1.10 per km and waiver of road tax for the COVID-19 pandemic period. They also wanted the minimum fare to be Rs 12 from the present Rs 10 and student concession also raised. State transport minister Antony Raju had previously conducted two rounds of meetings with the association, but the meetings did not yield any results.
While CM Pinarayi assured the bus owners of an increase in the rates of bus fares, the government has not given any date from which this would be implemented.
Meanwhile, the petrol price on Sunday, March 27, was hiked by 50 paise a litre and diesel by 55 paise, taking the total increase in rates since resumption of daily price revision less than a week back to Rs 3.70-3.75 per litre. Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation.
This is the fifth increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22. On all the previous four occasions, prices had been increased by 80 paise a litre — the steepest single-day rise since the daily price revision was introduced in June 2017. In all, petrol prices have gone up by Rs 3.70 per litre and diesel by Rs 3.75 in six days.
Prices had been on a freeze since November 4 ahead of the Assembly elections in states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab — a period during which the cost of raw material (crude oil) soared by about USD 30 per barrel.
(With inputs from agencies)