Bus operators put strike plan on hold in Vadakara

Private bus operators in Vadakara taluk have deferred their move to suspend rural services following talks with municipal chairman P.K. Sasi. However, they warned of an indefinite agitation from July 1 if steps were not taken to ease traffic snarls.

The strike had been called by the Bus Operators’ Association and workers’ unions. They alleged that the municipality had failed to fulfill the assurances it had given before buses operating on the Koyilandy, Perambra, Kolavipalam and Kottakkal routes were shifted from Link Road to the old bus stand in Vadakara.

The association functionaries said the relocation was carried out in accordance with a decision of the Traffic Regulatory Committee. Before the shift, they had sought the renovation of the service road from the SP Office to Kainatty, as well as the main road. The municipality had assured them that all the issues would be addressed in due course.

However, nearly two weeks after the relocation, the promised measures had not been implemented, according to local bus operators. They alleged that traffic snarls on the service road and adjoining stretches continued to disrupt bus schedules, preventing services from completing all scheduled trips and affecting their operational viability.

Representatives of the operators’ and workers’ unions also pointed to the financial losses suffered by both bus owners and employees owing to delays and reduced trip operations. They said the traffic situation had affected the working conditions of bus crews, often leaving them with little time to attend to their basic needs during duty hours.

During the recent discussions, the Vadakara municipal authorities said additional time was required to implement the agreed measures as they involved coordination with the Traffic Regulatory Committee and agencies connected with the national highway works in the area. They requested that the proposed strike be postponed until the process was completed as planned.

Following the talks, a joint meeting of the Bus Operators’ Association and trade union representatives approved the proposal to temporarily put the agitation on hold. The meeting, chaired by a senior leader of the Bus Operators’ Association, made it clear that an indefinite strike would be launched from July 1 if the municipal authorities failed to honour their commitments and address the traffic congestion on the affected roads.