Kochi police yet to complete verification of private bus employees

The Kochi City police’s special drive to conduct background verification of private bus employees and issue them special identity cards is yet to be completed, even two months after the initiative was launched.

The police, according to sources, are planning to issue the ID cards by next week, though they admitted that a final decision on how to proceed with the drive was yet to be taken. Earlier, the police had planned to complete the process within a few weeks in September and then by the end of October, but the initial plan could not be implemented.

An officer involved in the process said the verification of over 1,500 employees, including drivers and conductors, had been completed. It is roughly estimated that around 2,000 employees work as bus crew in the city.

Bus employees were asked to submit their personal details to the police in a pro forma for verification. The police launched the background verification drive in response to a series of incidents involving alleged criminal behaviour by private bus employees in recent times. The Special Branch of the police is conducting the verification based on the applications received by the traffic wing.

Sources said the police were planning to introduce smart ID cards for the bus crew, though the details of the cards were yet to be finalised. However, the police are yet to decide whether the cards should be issued to all employees who undergo verification, the officer said.

“We have come across employees who were booked for minor offences, including drunk driving, during the verification. For those who have a criminal background, we will note adverse remarks. Once the verification is completed, it would be up to the bus operator to decide whether a person should be employed or not,” the officer said.

District Police Chief (Kochi City) R. Nishanthini is yet to review the project, which was initiated by her predecessor, Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar, sources said.