Thiruvananthapuram, 06 July (H.S.):The Kerala government will constitute a committee to examine complaints by private bus operators that the KSRTC's Priyadarshini free travel scheme has affected their earnings, Transport Minister C.P. John announced on Monday.

The committee will hear representations from all stakeholders, assess the challenges faced by the private bus sector and examine whether the operation of Priyadarshini services has caused financial losses on specific routes. Its findings will be submitted to the government for further action.

The minister's announcement comes amid growing protests by private bus operators, who allege that the flagship UDF government's scheme has significantly reduced their passenger revenue. Around 450 private buses remained off the roads across Kasaragod on Monday as operators observed a one-day token strike demanding measures to address the impact of the scheme on their livelihood.

Defending the initiative, John rejected claims that Priyadarshini was responsible for the crisis in the private bus sector. He said the steady decline in the number of private buses had begun years before the scheme was introduced.

Kerala once had nearly 33,000 private buses, but the number has now fallen to around 8,000. This cannot be attributed to Priyadarshini alone. The crisis has been building over several years, and no serious effort was made in the past decade to study its causes or identify solutions, he said.

The minister noted that the government had already taken steps to support private operators, including reducing the quarterly tax on stage carriage buses by 50 per cent. He said the government viewed private bus owners as partners in the state's public transport system.

John also said the impact of the scheme varied across districts. While areas such as Neyyattinkara have few private buses, districts including Pathanamthitta and Kottayam, where KSRTC and private services operate in similar numbers, require closer examination.

Maintaining that Priyadarshini was not a problem but a solution, the minister said the scheme had provided substantial financial relief to women and transgender persons by offering free travel on KSRTC ordinary buses, increasing the disposable income of many working women and benefiting thousands of families across Kerala.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman