Buses in fatal accidents to lose permits for 6 months in Kerala
The Hindu
Kerala State Transport department cancels permits of private buses involved in fatal accidents, implements new safety measures.
Close on the heels of the recent fatal accidents in Kerala, the State Transport department has decided to cancel the permits of private buses involved in fatal accidents for six months.
Speaking to the media after a high-level meeting of Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) officials here on Tuesday (December 17, 2024), Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar said there was already a provision to cancel the licence of the drivers of buses for reckless driving.
In addition, the permits of private buses would be suspended for six months in case of fatal accidents. If a person is seriously injured in a bus accident, the permit will be suspended for three months, said the Minister.
The decision was taken after holding a meeting with representatives of the private bus owners’ association. Competition among private bus operators is the main cause of accidents involving private buses in the State, said the Minister.
Since there is no procedure for appointing private bus staff in the State, the department has decided to make police verification mandatory for the appointment of drivers and conductors in private buses.
Further, regular training would be imparted to private bus staff, including on topics like how to behave with passengers. The private bus operators have been directed to provide a phone number on buses for the public to communicate their grievances regarding the operation of the buses. If the bus operators fail to respond to the complaints, the MVD will swing into action by taking action against such buses.
The meeting of private bus operators also decided to geotag buses with GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to end competition among the private buses. They were given three-month time to geotag the buses. In case they fail to complete the exercise on time, the MVD will take the lead to geotag the buses, the Minister said.
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