Even as the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) is going through its paces for appealing the State Transport Appellate Tribunal’s order against making doors mandatory for private buses, yet another passenger has fallen victim to accidents caused by door-less buses.
Dileep, a resident of Thoppumppady, would not have ended up with a broken jaw and both his legs in cast if the RTA’s direction had come into force at the start of this month as originally planned. The man, who is in his 50s, was thrown off a crowded private bus without doors on Tuesday, sustaining serious injuries.
Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer K.M. Shaji said he would meet the District Collector on the issue on Thursday. The idea is to seek permission from the State government to appeal against the STAT decision in the High Court without waiting for the RTA meeting. “The file seeking the permission would be forwarded to the government within a week after the Collector’s approval. As soon as the permission is received RTA will write to the Advocate General,” he said.
STAT has overturned the RTA decision after it was challenged by the bus operators and workers’ associations.
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Amid the jubilation over the decision to extend Kochi Metro Rail to Infopark at Kakkanad, concerns persist about the fourth reach of the project between Vytilla and Pettah.
Unlike other project sites elsewhere in the city, there is nothing in this stretch to indicate that it’s part of the ambitious metro rail route. Neither is there any barricade in the middle of the road nor are there any pillars or pier caps, which are all too visible in other reaches of the project.
Land acquisition continues to be a stumbling block in launching the construction works. With the district administration finding it difficult to get all landowners on board due to disagreement over land value, it may well have to go for acquisition under the LA Act if the differences persist.
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The government may have not yet accepted the M. Ramachandran Commission recommending a hike in autorickshaw fare.
But that has hardly stopped at least a section of the autorickshaw drivers in the city from charging higher fare on their own. They either charge a minimum fare of Rs. 20, as recommended by the Commission over the existing Rs. 15, or simply keep the change if the passenger hands out Rs. 20.
