Bus strike withdrawn in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 3 (UNI) The five-day-long bus strike in Kerala was today withdrawn after the government assured the agitators that everything will be done for getting an early assent to the Ordinance against the Supreme Court order for fixing speed governors in heavy vehicles.

The decision to withdraw the strike was taken after discussions between Kerala Transport Minister Mathew T Thomas and the Bus Operators Organisation and the Bus Operators Federation here.

Meanwhile, the agitating Lorry owners are holding a discussion with the government here.

After the discussion, the Organisation and Federation leaders told reporters that the strike was withdrawn following government's assurance that all steps would be taken for the assent to the Ordinance at the earliest.

The government had also assured to look into all the issues pertaining to the Bus operations.

Mr Thomas said the government had taken the decision on speed governors only on the basis of the Supreme Court order and the government would take all steps for getting assent to the Ordinance.

The Government from yesterday started taking punitive action, including seizure of vehicles that did not ply and issuance of temporary permits, as part of a series of measures to counter the strike that badly hit the Northern districts, which mainly depended on private buses.

Some private buses and other vehicles had started to run at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kasargode from yesterday itself as certain organisations withdrew from the strike.

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