Amid dip in passengers, Kerala private bus operators don’t want fare hike; they fear more drop in patronage
There is a big drop in number of passengers who rely on private buses for their daily commute after COVID-19. file photo
Dhinesh Kallungal THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
After a series of strikes demanding fare revisions over the last decade and a half, private bus operators in Kerala are no longer looking for minimum fare revisions, not because their operations are profitable, but due to dwindling patronage among passengers for bus rides.
The timeline of fare revisions and the decline in bus passenger numbers over the last 15 years presents a bleak picture of the private bus industry.
In 2010, the minimum fare was ₹4, which was later revised six times, with the last revision in 2022 fixing the minimum fare at ₹10. In the meantime, the average passenger ridership in buses dropped to 600-650 from about 1,300 a day. The number of buses also fell from around 32,000 in 2010 to just 8,200 now.
Speaking to The Hindu, Hamsa Erikkunnan, chairman of the Joint Committee of Bus Owners, said the private bus strike earlier this week had not demanded any minimum fare revision, although many media houses quoted the demands incorrectly.
The fact is that the private bus owners are facing dwindling ridership, which has put them in no position to seek another fare revision.
Already, there is a big drop in the number of passengers who rely on private buses for their daily commute after COVID-19.
Another minimum fare revision will sound the death knell for the ailing industry, with the majority of the remaining passengers switching to the alternative modes of transportation, said Mr. Erikkunnan.
The average daily ridership in an ordinary bus is now 600-650 passengers, while the number would be around 200-250 in long-distance limited-stop buses. Around 50% of the travellers comprise students and the migrant labour workforce, and the rest are the local populace, mainly women and elderly.
Already, the migrants have started taking other modes of transportation, and a fare revision would speed up the shrinking patronage for the bus rides among the existing lot of passengers, said functionaries of various private bus organisations.
New directive
The private bus industry in Kerala predominantly engages local workforce, according to experts.
The recent directive that insists police clearance certificate for employees every six months — while there is no such compulsion for lakhs of migrant labourers who work in various sectors in Kerala — has increased the woes of the sector, an expert said.
