Private buses in Kasaragod district remained off the roads on Monday as operators staged a one-day slogan strike, alleging that the State government’s decision to provide free travel for women in KSRTC buses has pushed the private bus sector into a severe financial crisis.Around 450 private buses participated in the strike called by the Kasaragod District Private Bus Operators Federation, along with various workers’ organisations. The suspension of services caused widespread inconvenience to commuters, particularly in hilly regions and routes where KSRTC services are unavailable. Students traveling to schools and colleges and office-goers were among the worst affected, while depending on autorickshaws added to commuters’ expenses. Bus owners and workers accompanied by their family members took out a protest march from Anangoor to the Collectorate where they staged a dharna.Dip in revenueThe operators alleged that the introduction of free travel for women in KSRTC buses had led to a sharp decline in passenger revenue for private buses. They claimed that buses operating on routes served by KSRTC were no longer earning enough even to meet diesel expenses, while buses on other routes had witnessed a daily drop in collections of ₹1,500 to ₹3,000. They said the continued operation of services had become financially unsustainable, particularly for owners who had invested heavily through bank loans and for daily wage workers dependent on the sector.K. Girish, district president of the Private Bus Operators Federation said the federation has submitted eight major demands to the government to protect the private bus industry. “We demand limiting free travel for women to two trips a day based on voter identity cards, excluding inter-State and town-to-town buses from the scheme, making the government bear contribution to the workers’ welfare fund, and recognising the private bus sector as an industry,” he said. Other demands include complete exemption from road tax, a 50% subsidy on diesel, and extending the free travel scheme to students and senior citizens aged above 65 years.The federation announced that if the demands are not accepted, it will organise a relay dharna in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram from July 20 to 26. The Joint Action Committee also warned of an indefinite Statewide private bus strike if the government failed to take a favourable decision. The protest march and dharna were led by Mr. Girish, T. Lakshmanan, district secretary, CITU district secretary Giri Krishnan, and BMS district secretary Babu. Published - July 06, 2026 05:43 pm IST