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Police clearance must for private buses in Kochi

Inquiry soon to check on criminal elements among the 3000-strong private bus crew in city.

Kochi: The Kochi City Police will conduct a quick inquiry in a month’s time to find criminal elements among the 3000-strong private bus crew and ask owners to dismiss them.

This measure is being taken in addition to the cops making it mandatory for new employees being appointed in city private buses to obtain a ‘Police Clearance Certificate’. The existing crew will also be given the certificate on the basis of the quick inquiry into their antecedents.

The decision was taken at a meet convened here on Wednesday by City Police Commissioner MP Dinesh that also included representatives from private bus owners and various bus employees associations.

The meet was held as part of attempts to resolve commuting woes faced by students’ community and also to end issues between students and private bus crew. Recently a bus employee attacked students of an ITI institute at Maradu, injuring six of them with a small knife-like weapon after the students protested against the buses refusing concessions and not stopping at bus stops.

“A special desk at the district level has been formed under the Deputy Police Commissioner (Administration and Crimes) to check the antecedents of the 3000-strong private bus crew. The bus owners agreed to dismiss those found to be facing serious charges. The data on the bus employees will be collected within a month and the police clearance certificate issued to them,” the Commissioner said in a statement.

Following the parleys, it was decided that each private bus should allow at least 15 students to board the buses from bus stops near educational institutions. The buses should halt right at the bus stops and the students should be allowed to travel till the destination as per the concession card. All the bus crew should wear uniforms. The services of PTA members, SPC, NCC and NSS among others will be utilized to help form queues at bus stops for easy boarding.

“We raised the need for maintaining the queue system at bus stops and also took up the issue of college and school students disfiguring bus bodies using spray paint,” said K B Suneer, Secretary, Private Bus Owners Federation.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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