Mallapuram (Kerala), July 8, 2025: Private bus owners in Kerala commenced a state-wide token strike as operators launched a protest against the government, raising multiple demands. The leaders of the Joint Committee of Bus Owners’ Associations stated that if no solution is reached through further negotiations within a week, they will escalate the protest into an indefinite strike. The bus operators are protesting over several issues, including the timely renewal of permits, an increase in student concession fares, the withdrawal of the requirement for mandatory police clearance certificates for workers, an end to excessive penalties imposed through the e-challan system, and a rollback of the costly electronic equipment installations being made mandatory. Committee leaders reiterated that failure to resolve the matter within a week will result in an indefinite strike.
