The police will recommend to the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) to suspend the licence of the conductor and the driver of a private bus it seized on the charge that a passenger died due to cardiac arrest, after its crew allegedly left him unattended at a stop after he complained of chest pain.
Sources in the Udayamperoor police said that the conductor and the driver, who were absconding, would most likely be arrested on Monday and charged under Section 304-A of IPC. Steps to suspend their licence would follow suit, they said.
In the meantime, MVD officials pointed out that the conductor was duty-bound to rush such passengers to the nearest hospital. “He is also duty-bound to provide first aid, if necessary. These are mandatory provisions that a conductor agrees to before being given the ‘conductor badge’. Passengers must also be given CPR in case of need. The trip sheet of that bus on the day would have name of the conductor and the driver. The conductor is primarily responsible for such incidents, followed by the driver,” they said.
The deceased passenger is unlikely to get insurance amount of the bus since he did not die in any accident. In addition, charges under Section 304-A might not stand against the bus crew, although they showed gross negligence and acted without compassion. Passengers too could have helped the person. “In addition, it has to be probed whether the passenger preferred to continue travelling, rather than get immediate medical aid,” they added.
President of a bus operators’ organisation in the district Prakashan Mannali too deplored the attitude of the bus crew. “They must at least have halted the bus and entrusted the passenger with an auto driver, after paying him ₹100 or so,” he said.