In just three days after launching a combined checking drive against road safety rule violations, the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) and police squads registered over 100 cases against private bus drivers caught for various grave road rule violations within the Kozhikode city limits alone. The majority of the cases were related to violations of permitted city speed limits and dangerous overtaking attempts in accident zones.
MVD officials said a total fine of ₹89,500 was imposed on the accused persons to compound the offences detected within the last three days. This was apart from the suspension of the driving licenses of seven bus drivers involved in dangerous driving, they said.
One of the strange findings by the enforcement squad during the flash checking was the alleged secret entry of unlicensed drivers in city buses. They reportedly exposed four such drivers who had been working in various city buses as substitutes. Sources said bus owners were reportedly unaware of the dangerous practice, which could even spoil the eligible insurance benefits for passengers in case of an accident.
Though the permitted city speed limit for buses is 35 kmph, speed governors have been found tampered with in several buses to exceed the permitted limit and facilitate speedy overtaking. MVD officials said intensified surveillance has been ensured over flyovers and bridges to book drivers who resort to reckless overtaking attempts and lane discipline violations.
“We have been carrying out regular inspections in the area following public complaints from various locations. It was the latest accident near the Arayidathupalam flyover that drew public and media attention to the ongoing drive,” said regional transport officer (Enforcement) C.S. Santhoshkumar. He said the dawn-to-dusk flash-checking drive covering major roads would continue for a few more days to send a clear message to violators.
Officers with the Road Safety Enforcement Squad and traffic patrol units said a separate drive to track bus drivers who consume drugs, pan masala products, and alcohol was also underway. The arrest of one such suspected bus driver from Perumanna by a local police squad was the result of heightened surveillance in the area, they said.
“The reckless driving habits and overtaking attempts by a section of private bus drivers have even started challenging police patrol vehicles. It was a close shave for me and a colleague when our interceptor vehicle was rammed by a private bus recently on the Chevarambalam-Chevayur road,” said Manoj Babu, a sub-inspector with the City Traffic Enforcement Unit. He said the accident took place while they were conducting inspections for speed limit violations by private buses.
Published – February 07, 2025 08:31 pm IST