Noticing the rising number of complaints against suspected misuse of parked buses as safe dens for substance abuse, the Kuruvattur grama panchayat has restricted the entry of private buses to a local bus stand under its control at Parambil Bazaar after the permitted service hours. No overnight parking will be entertained at the bus stand as part of a collective decision approved by the panchayat.
“The official order was issued by the panchayat secretary based on our recommendation. We have also sought the support of the police to enforce it strictly as complaints against bus workers have been on the rise,” said panchayat president A. Saritha. She also made it clear that there would be no reconsideration of the decision despite protests by a section of bus operators.
Flaying the panchayat’s decision, bus operators resorted to a flash strike on Saturday. According to them, the order was meant to put all operators in poor light. They also claimed that there were no such incidents of substance abuse in parked buses as claimed by the local body.
Meanwhile, panchayat members who had demanded stringent action against offenders said the decision was taken after residents approached the local body seeking a permanent solution to the issue. They also said that there was no favourable response from the operators to the call to adopt corrective steps.
