Private bus operators in Kozhikode are intensifying their clamor over KSRTC’s free travel scheme

A section of private bus operators in Kozhikode district have renewed their protest against the state government’s Priyadarshini scheme of free travel for women in KSRTC buses, claiming that the scheme will derail their business and push hundreds of bus owners and employees into acute financial distress.

Loyalty protesters of the Kerala Private Bus Operators Association began a hunger strike in front of the Collectorate on Thursday (July 2, 2026). They alleged that the state government has deliberately ignored the survival issues raised by the bus operators since the system was launched.

They alleged that the increase in the number of women passengers availing free travel in KSRTC buses has already disrupted the regular schedules of many private bus operators. They said the sharp decline in the number of regular passengers on several rural and urban routes came as a blow to private operators who were already on a tightrope financially.

Reacting to the hunger strike, a senior leader of the association said the government’s failure to identify the most deserving beneficiaries through a reasonable vetting mechanism has dealt a blow to the ailing private bus sector. The scheme could be adopted by all if it was limited to eligible categories of passengers such as women from lower income groups, unemployed, senior citizens or people with serious illnesses, the leader added.

“The government has failed to initiate any practical measures to compensate the private bus operators for their losses. Instead, it has shifted the entire burden to the helpless private bus owners and asked them to come up with their own measures to overcome the crisis,” said C. Baburaj, a private bus owner. He added that private bus operators would not be able to come up with independent measures to attract passengers, especially at a time of sharp increase in fuel prices and rising taxes, without adequate support from the state government.

Officials of the association, including district president KT Vasudevan and secretary Beeran Koya, said the financial burden of implementing social programs aimed at gaining public support and political mileage should not be placed on private bus owners and workers. They said local bus operators are already facing an acute financial crisis and the recent increase in fuel prices coupled with rising maintenance costs and higher wages have forced many operators to exit the industry and seek other viable livelihoods.

Published – 03 Jul 2026 23:28 IST