Transport strike in Kerala over fuel price hike: TN too affected

Motor Transport strike on Tuesday in Kerala affects the state as well as Tamil Nadu badly.

The state-wide strike that began at 6 a.m. on Tuesday conducted by motor transport workers, taxi and auto rickshaw drivers to protest against the hike in the price of petrol and diesel has hit the public transport services in Kerala.

The districts in the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu like Coimbatore and Nagarcoil were also affected badly. Private Vehicles, Public Transpots and Goods Carriers were halted on roadsides and this hindered people moving to Palakat and Trivandrum from Coimbatore and Nagarcoil.

In Kerala, private buses, taxies, auto rickshaws, lorries and mini-lorries have kept out of the road since morning in response to the strike call by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation( KSRTC) Employees association, private bus workers unions and the Joint Coordination Committee(JCC) of the taxi and auto rickshaw unions.

The CPI(M), other left parties, BJP, INTUC and other organizations are supporting the strike.

The KSRTC effort to operate the long distance services had not been fully successful as protestors were blocking the buses at many bus stations in the state. Around 20 per cent of the KSRTC staff was not participating in the strike. KSRTC sources said police protection had been sought to operate the services on convoy basis.

In Kattakada, the tyres of four KSRTC buses were deflated by the protestors. Those who obstructed the KSRTC buses were arrested by the police from Pathanamthitta, Venjaramood, Thiruvananthapuram Central and Palode.

The city services of the KSRTC in the state capital Trivandrum are also not operating due to lack of staff and protest from the agitationists, the control said.

In the southern districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta, private cars and two-wheelers are plying. Those who arrived in long distance trains at Thiruvananthapuram central station and by flights in Thiruvananthapuram international airport after the strike began had been stranded.

Educational institutions are remaining closed. The annual examinations in the schools scheduled for Tuesday and the University examinations had been postponed in view of the strike.Traders are keeping the shops closed across the state and supporting the strike demanding roll back in the price of petroleum products.

- Asian Tribune -