Private buses in Kerala are permitted to operate beginning June 18 and must adhere to the odd-even rule.

After a month-long lockdown, Kerala eased restrictions on June 17, allowing private buses to operate on weekdays beginning June 18 in accordance with the COVID-19 protocol. The Kerala government has allowed private buses to operate on alternate days, following the odd-even registration number pattern. Buses with odd numbers can operate on June 18. Currently, buses with even numbers are permitted to run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while buses with odd numbers are permitted to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be no weekend service because the state is an incomplete lockdown on Saturdays and Sundays. The state’s lockdown began on May 8 and was extended several times before being lifted on June 17. With the lifting of the lockdown restrictions, the government has also permitted limited public transportation.

However, no decision on allowing private buses to operate was made until Thursday. Transport Minister Antony Raju announced the decision on June 17, saying that the situation is not conducive for all private buses to enter the road and that operators should cooperate with the government. On June 17, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation operated 1,528 buses in the state. However, bus owners have objected to the government’s decision to allow buses with odd and even numbers on alternate days.

Lawerence Babu, general secretary of the Federation, stated that the government did not consult them and questioned why the government did not apply the same rule to KSRTC buses. He claimed that the decision was imposed on private bus operators and that it would destroy the private bus industry, which is in crisis as a result of COVID-19. According to The Hindu, he added that “the decision is aimed at dividing the public and private sectors.”