Kochi : A speeding private bus knocked down a traffic police officer near Kerala High Court complex in around 7.30pm on Saturday, days after the court strongly criticised “deadly racing” by private buses . Civil police officer Sreedath M S , 39, was admitted to hospital with an injury to his left kneecap.




The police said the bus, Mahatma, was allegedly driven recklessly at high speed from Menaka and hit Sreedath from behind as it turned towards Banerji Road. He was managing traffic and fell near the vehicle’s front wheels. The police took driver Aneesh of Kakkanad and the bus into custody and registered an FIR under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita .




The incident came amid protests over private buses speeding after Infopark employee Akshara A was knocked down and killed by a private bus at IMG Junction in Kakkanad on Wednesday. The high court had criticised Kochi city traffic police for “sleeping at the wheel” amid repeated violent incidents involving bus crews and reckless driving , and orally asked whether punctuality was a licence to kill people on roads.




On Sept 9, the police announced that police clearance certificates and ID cards would be mandatory for bus crews by Sept 15. Akshara was killed nearly two months after the announcement. The driver of the bus that killed her had pending criminal cases, including an NDPS case registered at Thoppumpady.




Deputy commissioner of police (law and order) Arun K Pavithran told the court on Friday that the police were introducing QR-code-based smart IDs for every public transport vehicle employee to improve monitoring. Details of more than 1,300 private bus employees had been verified, he said.




Pavithran said many public surveillance cameras on roads were not working, but steps had been taken to restore them immediately. He added that bus owners and vehicles could also be held accountable for employees’ actions, particularly those of drivers, after the system was implemented.




An online petition seeking justice for Akshara and safer roads in Kochi has received over 7,800 signatures. The open letter to chief minister and transport minister says speeding, aggressive overtaking, racing between stops and intimidation of smaller vehicles are commonplace, while inadequate footpaths force pedestrians close to traffic.




It seeks mandatory GPS-based speed monitoring with real-time tracking and automated penalties; speed cameras and automatic number plate recognition on high-risk routes; escalating action against repeat offenders, including permit action; scientifically determined schedules and minimum intervals between buses; greater operator accountability; and safer footpaths, crossings and traffic-calming measures.