The Luxury Bus Owners Association announced that it will halt all interstate services from Kerala to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
In a statement, the Luxury Bus Owners Association, Kerala State Committee, indicated that interstate tourist bus services from Kerala to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will be suspended starting at 6 pm.
Association State President AJ Rijas stated that this decision was made after neighboring states began imposing heavy fines, enforcing unlawful state-level taxes, and seizing All India Tourist Permit (AITP) buses owned by operators from Kerala.
General Secretary Maneesh Sasidharan remarked that despite possessing valid AITPs issued under the Central Government’s Motor Vehicles Act, tourist vehicles from Kerala are being stopped, fined, and detained in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
“For more than a year, Tamil Nadu authorities have been arbitrarily collecting taxes from vehicles registered in Kerala, leading to ongoing harassment of operators and passengers. Throughout this time, the Kerala government has adopted a very sympathetic and supportive stance, avoiding retaliatory actions in hopes of achieving a cooperative resolution,” the association stated.
Many operators are now hesitant to provide interstate services due to the risk of financial loss and vehicle confiscation, they noted. The association emphasized that this suspension of services is not a voluntary protest, but rather a necessary measure taken to ensure the safety of vehicles, drivers, and passengers.
The association has urged the Kerala Transport Minister and the Transport Commissioner to promptly engage with the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, to put an end to these unlawful practices and to guarantee the uniform application of the AITP framework across all southern states.
The association has additionally composed a letter to Kerala Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar regarding the matter. “With prompt intervention from both the Kerala government and the central authorities, this issue can be amicably resolved, allowing normal interstate tourist operations to resume shortly,” the association further stated.
