The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) will begin the process of cancelling the fitness certificates of private buses not fitted with the mandatory door shutters at the front and rear sides from Saturday.

“We took a decision on the matter as over 200 private buses have not complied with our directive which is aimed at ensuring the safety of commuters, despite being given ample time. Two special squads have been constituted to keep tab of rule violators. Action will also be taken against overloaded goods vehicles since they too are a safety hazard,” said Jojy P. Jose, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Ernakulam.

The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) had decided to enforce the rule on door shutters after the court vacated a stay order issued against enforcing the rule for city permit buses. The MVD had filed charges against 48 buses in the city and suburbs on Wednesday for not having doors in operable condition. Two buses were seized for operating without fitness certificate.

Bus crew members are generally supportive of the directive to install doors since it involves the safety of passengers, door checkers, and conductors, said M.S. Raju, district secretary, Motor Thozhilali Federation (AITUC).

“The private bus sector, which is neck deep in crisis, must keep up with the times by enhancing safety measures like this.

Officials of the MVD and the police must enforce safety regulations rather than wait till accidents happen,” he added.

Commuter fatalities

Three commuters had died and at least two dozen, including students, were injured in the city in 2018 after falling off from rashly-driven private buses without doors. With the implementation of Bus Body Code AIS - 052, new buses having pneumatic doors are being manufactured by approved firms.

Mr. Raju further sought the implementation of a uniform for door checkers, apart from training bus crew members in soft skills.

M.B. Satyan, president, Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation, sought more time to comply with the MVD directive. “The number of bus body manufacturers has fallen due to the implementation of the new body code. This has in turn resulted in delay in installing doors on buses, he added.

He also sought a wide-enough door at the centre so that commuters can enter buses through one side and exit through the other simultaneously. This will also lessen the need to deploy two door checkers, he said.