KSRTC’s nighttime negligence: College girl left stranded for hours after bus service ends midway

ALAPPUZHA: The parents of a college student have lodged a complaint against the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), alleging that she was dropped off alone midway through her journey at night. The BCom student, a native of Pandalam, had purchased a ticket to travel from Ernakulam to Haripad. However, she was allegedly asked to get off the bus before reaching her destination.

The incident reportedly took place at around 8.30 pm on November 7. According to the complaint, passengers travelling on bus number RPC 332 were asked to get off when the bus reached Alappuzha, after the crew announced that the service was being terminated. The complaint also states that no alternative arrangements were made to help the passengers reach their respective destinations.

The student waited alone at the bus stand for nearly two hours before her parents arrived and took her home. They subsequently lodged a complaint at the Alappuzha South Police Station.
The student's parents said they had attempted to submit a written complaint to the station master at the Alappuzha depot, but he was unwilling to accept it.

A public activist from Pandalam, who learnt about the incident, found that the bus involved belonged to the Cherthala depot and contacted its officials. The initial response was that the bus had terminated its service midway due to traffic congestion. However, the explanation was later changed, with officials saying that the bus had developed a technical fault.

The family alleged that the station master at Alappuzha had taken a position aimed at protecting the employees involved.

The family has demanded strict action against the employees and officials concerned, along with compensation for the mental distress suffered by the student. Complaints have also been submitted to the Women and Child Development, Youth Affairs and Transport departments. The family is also planning to lodge a complaint with the Transport Minister.