In the wake of the State Transport Appellate Tribunal staying a directive making mandatory the installation of pneumatic doors in private buses of Kochi, the Ernakulam Regional Transport Authority has decided to seek the State government’s approval in appealing against the order.
According to RTA officials, a formal decision will be taken by issuing a circular to all the agencies concerned as an RTA meet could not be arranged at a short notice. The request will be forwarded to the government once the District Collector, who is on leave, joins back duty on Tuesday.
As part of it, the authority will compile the details of accidents in which passengers were thrown out of buses with no side doors. “A majority of the victims were women or school-going girls. Further, many of these buses ply with commuters standing on footboards during peak hours,” the officer said.
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RTA chairman and Collector M.G. Rajamanickam in June issued the directive citing the increasing number of accidents due to the absence of doors in the buses. The order was expected to come into effect on September 1.
However, the tribunal issued a stay on the directive last Saturday while hearing a petition filed by the Private Bus Operators Association General Secretary K.B. Suneer. Considering the petition, the appellate body observed that the RTA had no right to issue such a directive as the Kerala Motor Vehicle Rules provided exemptions for private buses from operating with side doors.
It is up to the government to take specific decision in this matter and make amendments in the rules, it held.
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In his petition, Suneer pointed out that the directive of the Authority was not practical as the buses had stops at every 25 to 30 metres.