The district unit of the Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation collected ₹22,72,460 during a ‘bucket collection’ held for the flood-affected on August 30.
345 buses
The amount was collected from passengers, including schoolchildren, on 345 buses, the federation’s State committee member and district president K. Girish said.
Tickets were not issued that day and the passengers were asked to donate a sum voluntarily. Schoolchildren were not given the usual concessional rate.
The sum collected was remitted at centres in four sites – Hosangadi, Kasaragod, Kanhangad and Cheruvathur.
‘Expected more’
“We were hoping to collect over ₹25 lakh from the buses under the federation umbrella. However, quite a few vehicles did not ply on the day due to maintenance works,” he said.
Some of the passengers said they had already donated through other organisations. Also, colleges in the district had not re-opened after the Onam recess on that day, reducing the number of passengers.
The federation will hold a district-level meeting shortly and decide on whether the money, meant for the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund, be handed over straight to the District Collector or through the federation’s State committee.