PAYANA 2.0: KSBOA Charts Course for Unified Reform at Southern Region Bus Owners Meet

The 2025 Southern Region Bus Owners Meet by KSBOA united over 3,000 stakeholders from six southern states to push for interstate policy alignment, uniform taxation, and collaborative reform in India’s intercity bus transport sector.

In a coordinated push for structural reform and regional policy alignment, over 3,000 stakeholders from the private intercity bus transport sector convened in Bangalore for the Southern Region Bus Owners Meet, 2025.

Hosted by the Karnataka State Bus Owners Association (KSBOA) at Anantya Palace on May 17, the event brought together operators, associations, policymakers, regulators, legal experts, and industry suppliers from all six southern states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Puducherry.

The event’s core agenda included:

• A proposal for a reciprocal interstate movement agreement across the southern states
• Endorsement of a South Zone-wide All India Tourist Permit (AITP)
• A joint appeal for uniform state-level taxation for commercial passenger vehicles

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Coordinated Regional Voice Gains Ground

The Southern Region Bus Owners Meet was a landmark event for private bus operators in the region. Associations from all six southern states came together for the first time on a single platform to voice shared concerns and propose collaborative solutions. The meeting concluded with the unanimous passage of a resolution calling for regulatory alignment across states.

The alignment particularly focused on tax policies, interoperability of permits, and administrative transparency.

The scale and unified tone of this event mark a shift in how southern operators are engaging with policy discussions, as noted by industry observers. Rather than isolated appeals, the resolutions adopted here signal an emerging bloc-based approach to negotiations with state and central transport authorities.

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Massive Participation from Across the Sector

Approximately 3,118 attendees were present, making it one of the largest industry congregations of its kind. These included private bus operators, coach builders, commercial vehicle manufacturers, government officials, software providers, and aggregators. High-level delegations from various associations and districts brought their full governing bodies in support of the event’s resolutions.

Key industry participants included:

• Vehicle manufacturers: Tata Motors, Bharat Benz, Volvo, Eicher, Force Motors
• Coach builders: SM Kannappa, Shree Damodar Coach, MG Automotive, KMS Coach Builders, etc.
• Suppliers: Trans ACNR, Mobus Climate Control Systems, Mega Amp, Camo ex, MRF, etc.

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Insights from Legal and Policy Experts

Key sessions were led by former and serving government officials, bringing administrative insight to the table.

• Justice B. Veerappa, Upa Lokayuktha, and a former High Court judge, spoke on the need for transparent enforcement and consistent interpretation of transport policies across states.
• Sri Ashfaq Ahmed, President, AIFMV Technical Officers Association, advocated for practical interpretations of the Motor Vehicles Act and called for uniform taxation to reduce operational inefficiencies.
• Sri B. Nagaraja Rao, Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Policy & Law), provided clarity on GST’s current application to passenger transport and proposed reforms to streamline compliance.

Strengthening Industry-Government Dialogue

Sri Ramalinga Reddy, Karnataka’s Transport Minister, held a ministerial session at the event and heard appeals from operators and reaffirmed the government’s intent to engage constructively.

Delegates recommended the formation of a Southern Zonal Transport Council to institutionalize policy dialogue between states and private stakeholders.

Additionally, the participants proposed:

• Legal task force formation to approach the Union Transport Ministry for policy-level discussions
• Regular SITCO meetings by respective state governments to address emerging issues and maintain momentum

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Industry Recognition and Media Inclusion

Members of the media, who have consistently reported on transport sector developments, were recognized by the organisers. Awards with titles of ‘Jewels of Media’ and ‘Gems of Media’ were presented to female and male journalists, respectively.

This highlighted the sector’s acknowledgment of informed journalism as a pillar of public discourse.

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Looking Ahead

The 2025 Southern Region Bus Owners Meet saw widespread support for the resolutions and a clear roadmap proposed for further action. It laid the groundwork for what may become a new standard of coordinated policymaking in the intercity bus sector.

The success of the resolutions and the roadmap will depend on the execution and follow-through from state governments and regulatory bodies. But the mass participation from all the stakeholders and the consensus displayed here marks a huge step forward for a sector long burdened by operational disruption and inconsistent oversight.