Responding to queries posed by media persons on Monday about the increasing instances of private bus accidents in the city and its immediate suburbs, Transport Commissioner Nagaraju C. said that pedestrians and motorists—especially two-wheeler riders—ought to be careful to maintain a distance from heavy vehicles. This is crucial to prevent being in the ‘blind spot’ of bus and truck drivers.
In connection with the death of a food delivery executive who died after a private bus rammed his bike at South Kalamassery on Monday, the Transport Commissioner said that this might have occurred since the biker was in the blind spot on the front left side of the bus when the accident occurred. CCTV cameras in the vicinity would have to be inspected to assess whether the bus was being driven beyond the permitted speed.
Mr. Nagaraju said that an AI-based software to streamline the time schedule of buses is on the anvil, to prevent the overlapping of bus timings when buses from multiple starting points converge on arterial roads in the city. “This will help rein in reckless and competitive driving. In Kochi, around 500 (city permit) private buses operate. A good share of them converge at such points/roads within a short time span, especially during four hours each in the morning and evening peak timings.”
He added that all buses must stop only at the designated bus stops. They must leave as soon as passengers disembark or board. Sadly, many buses halt at stops for five minutes, using bus stops as bus stands. Aimed at ensuring accountability among bus crew, a police clearance certificate (PCC) has been made mandatory from August 23, he said, on the sidelines of a function at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium metro station, after launching the metro’s UPI-integrated ticket vending machine initiative.
Published – August 05, 2025 01:40 am IST
