Kerala Transport Department officials on Friday, 7 November 2025, seized over 30 private omni buses from Tamil Nadu operating without valid route permissions, imposing fines exceeding ₹70 lakh. The crackdown has led to a suspension of omni bus services from Chennai’s Koyambedu to Kerala, leaving passengers stranded midway.
According to the Tamil Nadu Omni Bus Association, more than 100 omni buses departed for Kerala on Friday. Of these, over 30 were impounded by Kerala authorities, and passengers were forced to disembark mid-journey. The association said the fines and seizures were sudden and “caused serious inconvenience” to travellers.
In response, the association announced that no omni buses would operate from Tamil Nadu to Kerala from 8 PM on Friday, warning that the decision would affect public transport links between the two states and inconvenience devotees travelling to the Sabarimala/Ayyappan temple.
The association appealed to both the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments to intervene immediately and resolve the issue, calling for a “practical solution” to restore inter-state bus services.
Kerala officials said the seizures were made under existing motor vehicle and inter-state permit regulations. Tamil Nadu authorities are in discussions with their Kerala counterparts, though no joint statement has been issued yet.
Passengers affected by the suspension reported being dropped off en route and forced to make alternate travel arrangements, while operators await clarity on future permit conditions for Tamil Nadu omni buses entering Kerala.
(Source: Times Tamil)
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