Farmer protests hit bus services in Kozhikode

KOZHIKODE: The farmers’ agitation over Cauvery water row has hit the travel plans of Keralites from Malabar during this Onam as KSRTC services from Bengaluru have gone haywire. Even though Kerala and Karnataka have increased services to tackle the rush, they are not confident enough to cross Mysore due to intense protests. “We are expecting a hindrance anytime,” said KSRTC zonal manager Safarulla.

“The major issue is at Mandya, between Mysore and Bengaluru, where few of our services stopped on Friday and hence had to wait until the evening to enter Bengaluru. If the condition continues, the revenue will go down, and the same is the condition with Karnataka RTC, which has also stopped. The private bus operators also are scared.” There is only one train from Bengaluru to Malabar, and it was full weeks before.

“There's a rush during Onam season, but this time, we will not be able to reach home on time even if you shell out a huge amount of money,” said  Sarang Somnath. “I have paid around '2550 for a ticket on Sofi Travels for a seat behind the driver. So this time journey to Kerala will be the most tiresome. Some of my friends spent more than '3000 for a ticket." An estimated 12 lakh Keralites live in Bengaluru and with Onam falling on Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands are expected to travel down to be with their families. With trains and government bus services running full, reports have emerged that private buses have hiked fares.