Background checks delay Kochi police’s plan to issue passes to private bus employees

image file | Photo credit: THULASI KAKAT

The Kochi city police’s plan to issue identity cards to private bus employees after thorough background checks is likely to take longer. Police have completed vetting only about 380 of nearly 4,000 bus employees, despite the original end-of-September deadline for completing the process having passed. As of Saturday, police had received 1,383 verification requests since the scheme was launched early last month. The police launched the background check drive in response to a series of incidents of criminal behavior involving private bus employees in recent times.

The special unit of the police investigates on the basis of requests received by the transport department. An officer involved in the process said a large number of bus staff working in the city are from other districts, making it a time-consuming matter.

Meanwhile, a traffic police officer said that the alleged reluctance of a section of bus operators to provide details of their employees has caused delay in completing the journey. The officer said they expect the rest of the workers to submit their details within two weeks through the respective operators and associations. Police estimate that around 4,000 people are employed in buses operating or passing through the city. “Some of them may be preparing the required documents for verification, while those with criminal records are not expected to submit their details. The verification drive will be completed by the end of this month,” the officer said.

KB Suneer, president of Ernakulam Private Bus Operators Association, claimed that most of the workers associated with the forum have already submitted their details. Another bus operator said that only a small number of people work permanently on the buses and others may not be interested in undergoing police verification.

Meanwhile, the police claimed to have stepped up their enforcement actions against unruly behavior and traffic violations by private bus employees. Police said around 2,003 cases were registered between September 9 and 30. While 41 cases were registered for alleged drunken driving, 71 drivers were booked for dangerous driving. District Superintendent of Police (Kochi City) Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said that a similar drive would continue in the coming days.

Published – 03 Oct 2026 16:12 IST