A month after stakeholders meet in Kochi, ID cards for bus staff still pending

Kochi: More than a month after a meeting of stakeholders convened by Kochi City police decided to issue identity cards to private bus staff, the process is yet to be completed.The police had announced on Sept 8 that police clearance certificates and ID cards would be made mandatory to prevent the presence of criminal elements among bus staff.At the meeting, senior officers had said they would try to issue the cards within 15 days. However, there is still no clarity on when the cards will be issued or which agency will issue them.A senior traffic police officer said the plan was to provide a model ID card to the association of bus operators, which could then issue the cards. However, bus operators said they had been assured at the meeting that they would not have to bear any additional expense. Siraj Makkar of the private bus operators association said the operators had been told they would only have to submit applications. “We are fully cooperating with the initiative, and all our employees have submitted their applications. We were assured that the police would make the arrangements to issue the cards,” he said.The meeting was convened in the aftermath of a sudden spike in violent incidents involving private bus crew, apart from continued instances of rash and negligent driving. Nearly a dozen such incidents were reported in Aug and Sept alone.In an incident, a bus cleaner, Muhammed Anzar, allegedly blocked a car and threatened its driver. He later allegedly attacked the police officers who tried to arrest him. The incidents triggered widespread protests.According to the city police, verification of individual applicants by the special branch to confirm that they do not have any criminal past is causing the delay. The police are trying to complete the issuance of the first batch of ID cards at the earliest. “We have received more than 2,000 applications. Police verification of around 500 applicants has been completed. A decision on issuing the cards will be taken after discussion with appropriate authorities,” said assistant commissioner of police (traffic east) Sajan Xavier.Activist T N Prathapan, who had approached the police seeking a lasting solution to the issue, said he was called to the police station last week and was told that the verification process was under way. “Issuing identity cards is a very good initiative as it will ensure accountability over who is working on which bus,” he said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in KochiStay updated with the latest Kochi news. Download the TOI App.