Ayyappa devotees protesting against the entry of two women inside Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa at Kerala Bhawan on January 3, 2019 in New Delhi. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has called off services to Kerala after one of its Airavat buses was pelted with stones at Kaniyapuram in Thiruvananthapuram during the state-wide hartal. One passenger also suffered minor injuries in the altercation.
Deccan Chronicle quoted a senior KSRTC official as saying, “Traders’ organisations and firms operating in the tourism sector in Kerala have announced their decision to boycott Thursday’s bandh call, but it is very difficult for our corporation to operate services because most of the buses which ply to Kerala are high-end club class services, so the damage is huge. As soon as one of our buses was attacked in Thiruvananthapuram, we immediately said told our drivers to stay off the road, keeping in mind the safety of passengers and the bus.”
The corporation is facing a revenue loss of Rs 10.16 lakh a day and 92 buses that were scheduled to travel to Kerala, particularly from Mangaluru and Bengaluru, have been cancelled. KSRTC has requested the travellers to alter their travel plans accordingly.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.