Buses, lorries start plying on Kerala roads

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 3 (UNI) Private buses and lorries started to ply on roads today as the five-day-long bus strike in the state was withdrawn and the lorry strike suspended till November 20.

The Bus Operators Organisation and Bus Operators Federation withdrew the strike after the government assured agitators that everything would be done to get early assent to the Ordinance against the Supreme Court order to fix speed governors in heavy vehicles.

Lorry owners agreed to halt the strike as the apex court would consider the case on the speed governor issue on November 20.

The decision was taken after various Bus and Lorry associations held discussions with Kerala Transport Minister Mathew T Thomas.

After the discussion, the Bus Operators Organisation and Federation leaders told reporters the strike was withdrawn after the government assured of all possible steps in getting the assent to the Ordinance at the earliest. The government had also assured to look into all issues pertaining to bus operations.

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

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court today called the strike of stage carriages, including buses and lorries, as 'per se illegal' and said there could not be any strike against the order of the Supreme Court, which had directed installation of speed governors in heavy vehicles.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice V K Bali and Justice P R Raman also said the operators should try to resolve their dispute by dialogue and through peaceful methods. It said the government was at liberty to use all measures to put an end to the illegal strike.

The Government from yesterday began taking punitive action, like seizure of vehicles that did not ply and issuing 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 as certain organisations withdrew from the strike.

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