Fuel price hike: bus operators to strike work in Kerala

Kozhikode, Jun 25 : Private buses in Kerala will be off the roads on June 29 following a token strike called by the operators demanding increase in the fare structure in the wake of steep fuel price hike imposed by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

Talking to newspersons here, Kerala Private Bus Operators Coordination Commitee (KPBOCC) chairman A K Abdulla and Convenor Gopinath said Rs three per litre hike in prices of diesel would hit hard the private bus industry, which provided employment to thousands of people.

Calling upon the government to fix minimum fare at Rs six from the present Rs four to ensure survival of the industry, they said operators would be compelled to go on indefinite strike if their demands were not met.

They said a decision on the indefinite stir would be taken at a meeting of the Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of private bus operators in the State at Thiruvananthapuram on July 21.

Other demands included refixing of student concession at 50 per cent in lieu of the present 12.5 per cent and kilometre charge at Re 65, they added.

--UNI

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