South India Inter-State Bus Services Halted Over Tax Disputes

Bus companies that drive between Southern Indian states have stopped running their buses.

They are unhappy because some states, like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, are asking them to pay extra money as taxes.

These buses already have a special permit, called an All India Travel Permit, that lets them travel across the country and includes taxes.

The bus companies feel these new, extra taxes are too much and make it hard to run their business.

Because of these extra taxes, some buses have been fined or even taken away.

This strike affects many people who use these buses to travel for work or to visit family.

It's also happening just before a big religious trip called the Sabarimala pilgrimage, where many people travel by bus.

The bus operators want the government to solve this problem quickly so they can start driving again.