Short Intervals Forcing State Buses To Overspeed, Delay In Revising Timetable Despite Orders 'Deliberate Act Of Contempt': Kerala High Court

Justice Amit Rawal, was considering petitions filed by autorickshaw drivers seeking permission to operate freely in Kochi and Perumbavoor.

In its earlier order dated August 8, the Court had expressed dissatisfaction over the existing time-table for stage carriages, observing that the short intervals fixed for buses to cover congested city routes effectively forced operators to overspeed, endangering commuters and pedestrians.

Citing recent accidents that claimed two women's lives, the Court directed the RTA to convene a meeting within 15 days to revise the schedule as per the State Transport Authority's suggestion of a five-minute gap in city routes and ten minutes in rural areas.

On Wednesday, Justice Rawal was informed that the meeting has been fixed for September 29, owing to intervening Onam holidays.

“I am afraid that there is no compliance to the direction of this Court nor any application has been filed seeking extension or attenuating circumstances, it is a deliberate act of contempt,” the Court noted. It thus directed to pre-pone the meeting from 29 September to 10 September.

The Court noted that the Regional Transport Officer is competent to take action against permit holders who ply in violation of the Rules 153 of the Kerala Motor Vehicle Rules. “Thus whenever any violation of the stage carriage vehicles is noted, the concerned RTO shall issue show cause notice to permit holders so that permit holders are sensitized about his role and terms of the provisions of the rules and section” it observed.

The amicus curiae informed the Court that there are traffic lights with less timings in two roads from Banerji Road till Palarivattam, and from Medical Trust Hospital till Vyttila which results in very few vehicles moving ahead when the green light is signalled.

The Court considered the issue and directed the traffic lights to be put off during peak hours in the the morning between 8:30 to 10:00 and evening between 5 to 7:30, and the traffic to be controlled manually by police personnel equipped with walkie-talkies so that they are able to communicate each other with regard to the congestion of traffic on the increased traffic rush due Onam holidays.

Case Title: Aboobacker and Ors v Joint Regional Transport Officer

Case No: WP(C) 13238/ 2022