Keralam private bus owners call off their strike after talks on the Priyadarshini free-travel scheme

2 November 2026

Private bus owners in Keralam have called off a strike that was to begin on Tuesday, after Transport Minister C P John met their strike committee and assured them the government would consider their demands favourably. Their central demand is that the free travel now given to women on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation services be extended to women travelling on private buses, with the government meeting the cost. The strike committee holds that the Priyadarshini scheme on KSRTC services has pushed private operators into a financial crisis and left many in debt. The two sides agreed on several points, including the government leasing private buses and revising bus schedules periodically. No decision was reached on raising fares or on concession rates. The government appointed a special commission on 2 September to look at losses in the private bus sector; it has submitted recommendations that are not yet implemented.