The token strike called by private bus operators in Kerala on October 31, 2023 affected commuters in the northern districts of the State.
Attendance was thin in many schools in Kozhikode district. Several offices too functioned with skeletal staff at some places. Many were seen waiting for hours for buses operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to reach their destinations at the mofussil bus stand in Kozhikode city. Though the KSRTC deployed additional buses to cater to the needs of travellers, it was not enough. Those who had to travel to remote destinations were the worst affected in Kozhikode district.
POCSO arrest fallout
The strike was total in Kannur district too. For those travelling from Kozhikode to places such as Nadapuram and Vadakara in the district, and Thalassery in Kannur, this is the second consecutive day of suffering as the buses had gone on a flash strike on October 30 (Monday). The flash strike was in protest against the arrest of a bus conductor under POCSO charges.
Residents of upland areas in Kannur district such as Iritty, Peravoor, and Alakkode, where people depend more on private buses, were forced to bear the brunt of the strike.
The scenario in other districts such as Malappuram, Palakkad, Wayanad and Kasaragod was also similar.
In Ernakulam district, around 2,000 private buses stayed off roads as part of the strike called by four unions of bus workers and owners. Several commuters in Kochi city struggled to catch public transport services even as the KSRTC operated extra schedules to destinations such as the Kerala High Court, Thevara and Vyttila. The bus strike did not, however, seriously affect the functioning of government offices in Ernakulam.
