Kerala has ordered intensified enforcement against reckless driving and dangerous racing by private buses after a series of road accidents, including an incident in Kochi in which a police officer on traffic duty was seriously injured.
V D Satheesan said in a post on X on Sunday that there would be no compromise on road safety and that strict action would be taken against private bus operators and staff found violating traffic rules. He said dangerous driving was putting lives at risk and that accidents were leaving families devastated.
“Reckless driving and dangerous racing between private buses on our roads are putting precious lives at risk,” Satheesan said. “Every accident leaves families devastated, and every life lost is an irreplaceable tragedy. This must stop. We cannot afford to lose even one more life to reckless driving or traffic violations.”
The statement followed road accidents involving private transport buses in the state, particularly in Kochi. A police officer who was on traffic duty in the port city was seriously injured a day earlier after allegedly being hit by a speeding private bus, according to the report.
Satheesan said strict instructions had been issued to the police and the Motor Vehicles Department to intensify enforcement and take firm action against violators. The announcement places responsibility for the immediate response on the agencies that regulate traffic compliance and road transport operations in the state.
The measures also include making Police Clearance Certificates and Smart IDs mandatory for private bus staff. The requirements are intended to create stronger identification and verification procedures for personnel working on private buses, although the statement did not provide details on how the rules would be implemented or monitored.
Private buses are a significant part of Kerala’s road-based public transport system, but their operations share crowded roads with pedestrians, two-wheelers, cars and other commercial vehicles. The warning specifically identifies racing between buses and excessive speed as enforcement concerns. It does not announce a new timetable, route-level restriction or change to the state’s private bus permit system.
The statement also appealed to all road users to avoid haste and traffic violations. “Someone is waiting for you at home,” Satheesan said, adding that no journey, destination or moment of haste was worth more than a human life.
The next steps identified in the announcement are intensified checks by the police and Motor Vehicles Department, firm action against violators, and the mandatory use of Police Clearance Certificates and Smart IDs by private bus staff.
