Private bus services in Vadakara taluk remained disrupted on Thursday (January 22, 2026) following a strike called by a section of bus operators in Kozhikode flaying the delay in the arrest of a suspect involved in the attack on a conductor on the Vadakara–Thottilpalam route.
Though long-distance limited-stop services were not derailed, commuters in the interior areas of Vadakara were forced to depend on local taxi operators. Most buses from Koyilandy discontinued services near the Moorad bridge. Similarly, local bus services from the Thalassery side were stopped near Mahe.
The protesters who took part in the dawn-to-dusk strike complained that the police had shown negligence in tracing the suspect involved in the attack that took place on December 31, 2025. They said the injured conductor was still undergoing treatment.
A trade union leader who was part of the strike said the bus operators would be forced to launch an indefinite strike if the police failed to trace the suspect within a week. He also claimed that talks held in the presence of senior police officers to address the grievances were futile.
The bus conductor was reportedly manhandled by a youth who had been asked to stay away from the parking bay at Vadakara bus stand. According to the complainant, the incident took place around 6.30 a.m., when there were not many commuters. The attacker, suspected to be a migrant worker, fled the spot soon after the incident, he claimed.
Published – January 22, 2026 08:23 pm IST
