The Kochi police are yet to complete the verification of private bus employees

Police are planning to introduce a chip-based identification card for bus crew, although details of the card are yet to be finalised. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO

A special action by the Kochi city police to conduct verification of private bus employees and issue special identity cards to them, not even two months after the initiative was launched.

The police plan to issue the passes by next week, according to sources, although they admitted that a final decision on how to proceed with the drive has yet to be made. The police had previously planned to complete the process within a few weeks in September and then by the end of October, but the original plan failed to materialise.

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

The bus staff were asked to provide their personal details to the police on a form for verification. The police have launched a background check drive in response to a series of incidents involving alleged criminal behavior by private bus employees in recent times. The special department of the police carries out verification based on the requests received by the transport department.

Sources said the police are planning to introduce chip-based identification cards for the bus crew, although the details of the cards are yet to be finalised. However, the police are yet to decide whether the cards should be issued to all employees who pass the verification, the officer said.

“During verification, we have come across employees who have been booked for minor offences, including drunken driving. We will record adverse remarks for those who have a criminal record. Once the verification is complete, it would be up to the bus operator to decide whether the person should be employed or not,” said a police officer.

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

Published – 5 Nov 2026 01:22 IST