Subsidised bus travel may end for students

Private bus owners in Kerala have taken a unilateral decision to end travel concessions to students from June 1, when the new academic year begins.

Travel concessions to students have been a bone of contention between the state government and private bus owners for several decades, and student agitations have been common whenever bus owners demanded a raise in the student fares.

The co-ordination committee of the private bus owners said yesterday that their decision was taken in the backdrop of increasing petroleum prices.

Accordingly, students would have to pay the same fare as the general public.

The private bus owners are also planning a sitin agitation at the state capital on May 8, with demands including a reduction in petroleum prices.

They are also demanding that the government provide them a subsidy to make good the concession that they give to student passengers.