T’puram: State govt constituted a five-member committee to examine the issues faced by private bus operators after KSRTC implemented the free travel scheme for women and recommend measures to address their concerns. Transport minister C P John announced the decision on Monday after holding talks with representatives of private bus owners.The committee, headed by former transport commissioner and retired IPS officer K Padmakumar, has former Natpac officer B G Sreedevi as its vice-chairperson. Joint transport commissioner Manoj Kumar will serve as the convener, while additional secretary Vijayashree K S and transport economist Sanjay RJ are the other members. Govt has asked the committee to submit a report within 45 days.John said govt will allow private buses to generate non-ticket revenue to improve their financial viability. Govt will explore opportunities in parcel and courier services as well as advertising. Private buses have been allowed to display ads inside and outside the vehicle, he said.The minister said govt had already reduced the road tax for private buses and operators can pay it on a monthly basis, if required. The one-time settlement scheme for pending e-challan payments will be extended by three months, he added.Govt will rationalize bus schedules and take steps to curb unhealthy competition among buses. AI will be used to determine optimal routes and timings. Govt will also study the feasibility of introducing new stops where travel demand has emerged. It will examine the possibility of treating public transport as an industry, he added.Representatives of private bus operators said Monday’s discussions were unsatisfactory and the financial distress caused by the free travel scheme was not resolved. They said bus operators were struggling to buy diesel and pay staff salaries.Bus owners said John informed them that a decision would be taken after the committee submitted its report. They said there would be no immediate strike and organizations representing private bus operators will meet again in two days to decide their future course of action, including possible protest programmes.Describing the sector as being ‘on a ventilator’, bus operators claimed that only half of the private bus services in Kerala were operational. They urged state govt to take corrective measures, warning that over half of the remaining buses could be forced off the roads before Onam.
