Luxury Bus Owners’ Association Kerala State committee has announced that all inter-State tourist bus services from Kerala to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will be suspended from 6 p.m. on Monday (November 10, 2025).
Association State president A.J. Rijas and general secretary Maneesh Sasidharan alleged that the decision was forced upon the operators as the neighbouring States had begun levying heavy fines, imposing unlawful State-level taxes, and seizing all India tourist permit (AITP) buses belonging to Kerala operators.
Despite holding valid AITPs, tourist vehicles from Kerala are being stopped, fined, and detained in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the organisation said. For over a year, the Tamil Nadu authorities have been collecting tax arbitrarily from Kerala-registered vehicles. During this period, the State government had taken a very sympathetic and supportive approach, refraining from retaliatory measures in the hope of a cooperative resolution, it added.
However, since Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have continued their high-handed enforcement, including seizing Kerala vehicles and imposing exorbitant penalties, the situation has become untenable and unsafe for operators, the office-bearers said in a statement. The association clarified that the service suspension was not a voluntary protest, but a compelled action taken for the safety of vehicles, drivers, and passengers.
Published – November 10, 2025 12:05 am IST
