Young woman in Kerala fights for justice after falling from bus with no door

KOCHI:  A young woman is legally fighting against those responsible for causing her to fall from a private bus that did not have a door. Sruthi, daughter of Sathyan M S of Malliyekkal House at Nayarambalam, decided to legally move against the private bus operator when her father came to know that there was an order that mandated installation of pneumatic doors in private buses. The bus that caused the accident in the city did not have one. 

“My 24-year-old daughter was lucky to have survived the accident. She suffered injuries on the right side of her head above the eye in the fall. The bus operator escaped from his responsibility by taking her to government general hospital after the accident. The bus owner and the crew are responsible for not installing the doors. They should be held accountable for not having a door and no such accident should happen to anyone else,” Sathyan said.

Sruthi decided to lodge a complaint after neither the bus crew nor the owner bothered to contact her enquiring about her condition after the accident, he said. “She had to undergo scanning to ensure that there is no serious injury to head. She was on bed rest for a week,” said Sathyan. 

The police have registered a case against the driver of the bus having registration number KL-43 B 175 based on Sruthi’s complaint. “We have launched a probe after booking the bus driver for rash and negligent driving,” said a police officer. 

The accident occurred on April 13 near St Albert’s College when Sruthi was travelling in the private bus. Sruthi, who was standing in the bus, fell forward when the driver applied sudden brake. Though she tried to hold on to a pole near the door to prevent from falling over, she couldn’t and fell on to the road after stumbling on the footboard.  

Private buses continue to operate in the city without doors closed ignoring a Kerala High Court order. Though Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) conducts drives to book private buses which are not complying with the High Court directive, the buses get away by paying the fine.