The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the Transport Commissioner to take steps to ensure that private buses stop when hailed by children and students are allowed to sit and travel on them.
Acting on a petition filed by a parent from Idukki, a single bench of commission member Reny Antony on Wednesday directed the Transport Commission and the State Police Chief to ensure that employees of private buses did not behave rudely to the children or discriminate against them.
Parent’s plaint
Tom Joseph, a resident of Calvary Mount, Ninth Mile, Idukki, in his complaint said that a bus named ‘Ammu’ with registration number KL06 G7127, which was the sole mode for his children to reach school, sped away regularly without stopping. If at all the children did manage to board it, the bus staff behaved in a rude manner. The children were not able to reach school in time even for examinations. When he questioned the bus staff, his vehicle was rammed by the bus and he was threatened. The employees also threatened that the bus would not stop at Ninth Mile.
In their report to the commission, the District Collector and the Regional Transport Officer said that the particular bus plied through Ninth Mile without stopping for children. Moreover, the bus employees behaved in an uncivil manner with the children. Employees of buses should be warned against such behaviour. The permit owner of the bus was willing to accept any punishment as per law if such incident recurred, the report said.
Concession denied
The commission observed that during various discussions it emerged that the private buses were denying students travel concession. They also prevented students from taking seats even if they were vacant. Such behaviour was discriminatory and violation of national and international rights of children. The commission also directed the Transport Commissioner and the State Police Chief to cancel the permit of such vehicles and the licence of employees and take legal action if such an incident was reported.
