Tamil Nadu stops TVM-Bengaluru buses at midnight, leaving passengers stranded

Thiruvananthapuram: In an escalation of inter-state bus travel problems, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday stopped buses to Bengaluru from Thiruvananthapuram. The buses were stopped at midnight due to disputes in the One India One Tax policy.

Passengers were asked to disembark from buses at Nagercoil side of Tamil Nadu at midnight. Most of the passengers, including students, were Malayalis. Tamil Nadu MVD officials instructed them to find alternative transportation.

The widespread cancellation of inter-state bus services from Kerala to Tamil Nadu has recently caused significant inconvenience to passengers. According to bus owners, the cancellations were due to the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicle Department’s strict stance on bus taxes. State-owned bus companies claim taxes were paid under the One India One Tax scheme, which Tamil Nadu authorities dispute.

Bus owners added that higher taxes were being demanded for vehicles not registered in Tamil Nadu.