Thrissur: A section of private bus operators has urged the state government to create an enabling environment for them to offer free travel for women on their buses as well. Leaders of the Kerala State Private Bus Operators’ Federation have presented three proposals to the government to achieve this.
First Proposal: Per Kilometer Payment
Under the first proposal, the government should pay Rs 55 per km for each private bus. The government would then take the daily collections from the bus, while the bus owners would cover the daily running costs, including staff salaries and maintenance expenses, according to federation state president K K Thomas and general secretary Hamza Erikkunnel.
They noted that private buses cover an average of 250 km per day, resulting in a daily payment of approximately Rs 13,750. In comparison, the government currently pays about Rs 14,440 per day to each KSRTC bus. They further stated that while KSRTC retains the entire collection from bus rides in addition to the Rs 14,440, private bus owners are willing to forgo their collections.
Second Proposal: Zero Tickets for Women
As per the second proposal, private bus operators would issue ‘zero tickets’ to women commuters using ticket vending machines similar to those in KSRTC buses. The government would then reimburse the fare for all women passengers to the private bus operators, as is already done in the case of private buses.
Third Proposal: Fuel and Tax Concessions
The third proposal includes providing diesel at half the price for private buses and waiving road tax for them. The federation leaders believe these measures would enable private operators to offer free travel to women.
According to them, the current free travel scheme in KSRTC ordinary buses benefits only 20% of women. “But if our proposals are accepted, the scheme’s coverage will extend to 80% of women,” Hamza said.
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