Pvt bus operators suffer heavy losses after a sharp dip in passengers due to COVID

COVID-19 pandemic has broken the backbone of private bus service sector in Kerala, which had weathered several storms in the past. The nearly 13,000 private buses, engaging more than one lakh daily-wage workers, are the backbone of public transport in Kerala which constitutes 77 per cent of the entire passenger transport segment. As the joint action committee of the private bus operators announced suspension of services from Saturday, regular commuters depending on these buses will have to face hardships as the state-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation may not be able to cater to the additional need. Though bus operators have demanded exemption of the quarterly road tax during the pandemic period till December, the State transport minister A. K Saseendran has made it clear that tax exemption is not feasible, while the date of remittance can be extended till October. “COVID-19 has resulted in a consistent drop in bus patronage in the recent months, from 950 passengers per day during January 2020 to 650 in March and then 265 passengers post lockdown,” said K M Nawas, district secretary -Ernakulam, Kerala Bus transport Association.