Malappuram: While the High Court has quashed the notification issued by the Transport Department limiting the services of private buses to a maximum distance of 140 km, the private bus operators have come up with complaints that applications for long-distance service are being delayed. The operators said that it was a move to bypass the court order. 

According to bus owners, the department is not allocating permits for the routes without mentioning any proper reason, even when some operators approached the regional offices following the court verdict. The government issued a notification on November 3, 2023, restricting private buses on routes exceeding 140 km.  KSRTC has taken up 243 such routes and started operating the buses.

The private bus operators moved the high court against the order and received a verdict in their favour.  "Some bus operators in these routes approached the regional transport offices to recommence their services. However, they were not willing to accept the fee to renew the permit. It is a deliberate effort by the state to force private buses to refrain from operating on these routes.

We will meet the Chief Minister next week. If the meeting doesn't end well, we will be forced to go on strike,” said Hamsa Erikunnan, general secretary of the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation.

C Manoj Kumar, a bus owner said that he filed an application to renew the Kollam-Kumali permit of his bus in the Idukki Regional Transport Office. “ However, I have not received a positive response from them yet. I can only pay the fees on Parivahan site if they process the documents I have submitted,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state government approached the high court division bench on Thursday with a writ to stay the single bench verdict.