KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday rejected the plea of contract carriage operators seeking more time to comply with the uniform colour code rule for tourist buses. The government had issued an order in this regard following the Vadakkanchery accident. The court said there were lapses prima facie on the part of the educational authorities of Baselios Vidyanikethan Senior Secondary School at Vettickal in Mulanthuruthy as they permitted the students to travel by the bus which violated the security norms.
A division bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice P G Ajith Kumar issued the order on the suo motu case pertaining to the accident.
The HC noted the tourist bus involved in the Vadakkanchery accident has already been shifted to the police station. Two screenshots taken from the video regarding the accident were produced before the court. They make it explicitly clear that the driver cabin of the bus had all sorts of unauthorised fittings resulting in glare on the windscreens, in flagrant violation of the provision of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. Use of such vehicles poses a threat to the safety of passengers and also other innocent road users.
The photograph of the bus also shows that it was not even fitted with retro-reflectors as per the statutory requirements. Its safety glass is having sun control film and also graphic stickers. The students who travelled in the bus uploaded a video on social media and it was viewed by the bench in open court.
“The video shows that even when the vehicle was running at an exorbitant speed, the students were dancing in the passenger compartment which was fitted with LED and other lights by converting the same as a dancing floor,” said the bench. The court also said the head of the educational institution and teachers who were in charge of the trip were admittedly least bothered about the safety of their students. Since even after the repeated orders of the HC prohibiting vehicles from violating safety norms, incidents are occurring at various places.
The court also flayed the vloggers uploading videos promoting the contract carriages violating safety norms. The court further suggested taking action against the owner of the contract carriage and the person who built the body of the bus flouting safety standards.
The court also held that action should be taken against the vehicles owned by KSRTC and Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation for exhibiting advertisements and images causing a distraction to the drivers of other vehicles.