Kochi: The Kerala High Court has directed the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to give preference to candidates included in the rank-list prepared by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) while appointing drivers on contract basis in its ‘Swift’ buses.

However, the appointments should be based on the contract terms of Swift, the court added.

An interim division bench of the court comprising Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohammed Nias issued the order while considering an appeal filed by T S Santhosh, a resident of Alappuzha, and others who are in the PSC list for reserve drivers in KSRTC.

Other instructions of the court include, publishing a notice announcing the vacancies; following proper guidelines while giving preference to PSC rank-holders and specifying in the notice that those appointed on contract basis cannot claim permanent postings.

The court said that it was issuing the order considering the unfairness involved in sidelining candidates listed by the PSC for permanent appointments and selecting others for temporary jobs.

Swift had earlier informed the court that it was prepared to appoint drivers in city, ordinary and mofussil services from the PSC rank-list. The selected candidates would be appointed based on the terms set by Swift and given the required technical training, the court was told.

The petitioners had appealed to the division bench after a single bench rejected their plea to appoint drivers in Swift from the PSC list. Incidentally, the rank-list concerned had lapsed on December 31, 2016.

However, appointments are yet to take place even in vacancies reported to the PSC during 2015.