Kerala Cracks Down on Tourist Buses Dodging Road Tax

The Kerala Motor Vehicles Department launched a surprise operation on Friday targeting private tourist buses from other states. The operation aimed to enforce payment of state road tax. During the operation, 28 buses were stopped and checked for various violations, including non-payment of road tax, overspeeding, and the use of banned air horns, according to officials.

The crackdown was strategically carried out around 3 a.m. to coincide with the arrival of private buses from Chennai and Bengaluru. These buses typically reach Kochi and other parts of Kerala in the early morning hours, making them prime targets for the operation.

While these vehicles have All India Permits, they are still obligated to pay state road tax. To minimize inconvenience, passengers in intercepted buses were allowed to disembark before the buses were directed to report to the MVD office, officials stated.