RANIPET: Amid rising concerns about footboard travel since educational institutions have reopened, an 18-year-old college student, travelling on the footboard of a bus, was killed after he slipped and was run over at Pallur near Nemili on Saturday.
Police identified the youth as Dinesh Kumar from Nemili, a student of Pachaiyappa’s College in Kancheepuram. On Saturday, while returning from college, the boy fell off the footboard when the bus he was travelling on took a sharp turn. Police said the boy chose to travel on the footboard although the bus, owned by a private transport company, was not crowded.
He was admitted at Kancheepuram Government Hospital and later shifted to Rajiv Gandhi General Government Hospital in Chennai, where he succumbed to injuries at 9.30 pm. Police registered a case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC and are investigating.
“The police, along with the district, are preparing a joint action plan to avoid such mishaps,” Ranipet Superintendent of Police Dr Deepa Sathyan said. “We are meeting the collector regarding the action plan and police are continuously spreading awareness about the dangers of footboard travel.”
Stating the administration is trying to curb footboard travel, collector D Baskarapandian said, “We have been advising all schools to regulate student outflow in the evening. We also urged the managers of transport corporations to increase bus services where there is rush during peak hours. Drivers have been asked not to allow students to board if it is too crowded.”