Kerala private bus operators plan Secretariat march on October 14
The Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation announced plans for a march to the Secretariat on October 14, 2026, to press their demands for measures to protect the private bus industry. The federation will hold a dharna at the Secretariat and observe a token strike on the day as part of its agitation. The announcement was made in a statement in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
The federation's demands include measures to protect private bus operators and employees affected by the State government's Priyadarshini free travel scheme for women and transgender persons; a hike in bus fares, including student concession fares, in proportion to the increase in operating costs; and withdrawal of the Transport Commissioner's order to conduct timing conferences exclusively in online mode. If their demands are not met, federation office-bearers will undertake a fast in front of the Secretariat in the last week of October.
The federation cautioned that if the State government fails to take a favourable decision despite the protests, bus operators, in consultation with other organisations, will launch an indefinite strike by suspending all services in the first week of November. This escalation marks a significant pressure tactic in the ongoing dispute between private bus operators and the state government.
