Kochi City Police told the Kerala High Court on Friday that the private bus driver arrested after a fatal accident at Kuzhikattumoola in Kakkanad had pending criminal cases, including an NDPS case, while acknowledging gaps in the verification process for public transport employees.
The driver was arrested in connection with the November 4 accident in which Akshara A, 29, was killed after being run over by a private bus. Deputy commissioner of police (law and order) Arun K Pavithran informed the court that the driver’s criminal cases had not appeared in the application submitted by the bus owner for verification.
The disclosure came as a bench led by Justice Devan Ramachandran considered petitions concerning traffic management and road conditions in Kochi. The court was shown a video clip of the accident and observed that Akshara had been walking along the extreme edge of the road, where her movement was further restricted by posts and other installations.
The bench noted that there was no pedestrian pathway at the location and said the police and other authorities were responsible for regulating traffic in a manner that could prevent such accidents. Referring to several roads, including internal roads in Kochi, the court warned that similar incidents could recur where adequate pedestrian infrastructure was absent.
The court also apologised to Akshara’s bereaved family for what it described as the failure of the system intended to protect her. The DCP assured the bench that the police would take immediate steps to prevent comparable incidents.
Pavithran said the police were introducing a smart identification system using QR codes for every employee of a public transport vehicle. The system is intended to enable more effective monitoring of drivers and other staff. More than 1,300 private bus employees had already had their details verified, he told the court.
Under the proposed system, bus owners and vehicles could also be held accountable for the actions of their employees, particularly drivers. The police are expected to formulate a protocol covering this accountability, according to the submission before the court.
The court reminded the police that they had previously informed it that police clearance certificates had been made mandatory for public transport employees. The bench observed that if this requirement had been implemented, the Kakkanad accident could have been avoided.
Pavithran said the police were now checking the details furnished in applications for all public transport employees. Individuals found to have criminal antecedents would be placed in an adverse category, he said.
The hearing also examined Kochi’s public surveillance network. The DCP told the court that many road cameras were not functioning, but that steps had been taken to restore them immediately. The court adjourned the petitions to November 13.
