Kallada attack aftermath: Kerala launches ‘Operation Night Riders’ to monitor buses

The move comes days after three men who were travelling in a private bus were attacked by staff members of the bus operator.

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The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) in Kerala has pulled up its socks following the brutal assault on three passengers by operators of a private bus in the state last week. The incident opened up a can of worms revealing the dark underbelly of the private bus lobby in Kerala which frequently flouts rules. In order to resist this lobby, the MVD has launched the “Operation Night Riders” in the state beginning Wednesday. The operation has been launched to keep a track on private buses that operate to and from Kerala as well as to monitor the functioning of various ticket-booking agencies of these buses.

Speaking to TNM about the operation, Rajeev Puthalath, the Joint Transport Commissioner of the state, said that the Enforcement Regional Transport Officer (RTO) have been asked to form round-the-clock squads in all districts in the state under a Motor Vehicles Inspector. “These squads will work 24x7 and will check all the buses as well as the booking offices of these buses,” said Rajeev.

Rajeev also explained that the MVD will be checking whether these booking offices have the requisite LAPT (Licensing of Agent for Passenger Ticketing). “If it is found that these booking offices are running without the LAPT, a stop memo will be issued to them. If the LAPT is not obtained within a week, their offices will be closed down.”

These squads have also been instructed to check the luggage compartment of these buses to check whether these vehicles are carrying any illegal load. “We will also be checking whether these buses have any previous cases of over-speeding, whether the bus operators have any pending cases of tax arrears against the permit holder or any other cases. A directive has been issued to fix GPS trackers in all the vehicles.” he said.

Three young men travelling from Haripad, Alappuzha to Bengaluru in the wee hours of Sunday were attacked by staff members of Kallada Travels, the bus in which they had been travelling. A video of the attack where the three men are dragged and beaten went viral, leading to a call for action from various quarters.

The officer stated that the checking will be conducted at the starting point or destination of these buses in order to ensure that passengers do not experience any inconvenience.

The Joint Transport Commissioner also said that the public can contact the RTO in Ernakulam on the number if they have any complaints. “If there are any pictures, the public can also WhatsApp it to the given number,” said Rajeev. As of Wednesday evening, around 60 vehicles across the state have been booked by the MVD, he added.

Public can contact the RTO in Ernakulam on 8281786096.

Read: Why private bus cartels in Kerala operate with impunity and get away with it