The Kannur District Private Bus Operators Association ended their six-day strike on the busy Kannur-Thottada-Thalassery route on February 10, 2026. The strike hit daily commuters hard and stopped around 60 private buses from running. The protest was about the demand for an underpass near Nadal OK UP school on the old national highway. Association district secretary Rajkumar Karuvarath said the strike was called off after Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran asked them to return to work. "He assured us that he would raise the issue with the Union Minister and work towards a solution," Mr. Karuvarath said. The bus operators said that once the highway work is finished, it would be unacceptable to force buses to take a 7 km detour via Thottada. Despite the strike, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) reportedly opposes building the underpass. Many claim the district administration supports NHAI’s stance. No talks have been held by the District Collector or Kannur MLA Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally with bus owners or residents to solve the problem. Passengers criticized the authorities for "ignoring" their difficulties. KSRTC buses are currently the only option for travelers on this route.