Kunnamangalam: A home guard staged a protest by lying in front of a bus after the crew ignored his instructions to let students board the vehicle.

The incident occurred at the Markas bus stop yesterday around PM when Vellalassery Nagarajan, attached to the Kunnamangalam police station, staged the protest  by lying in front of a private bus operating from Mukkam to the town.

Local residents said that although buses stop at the bus stop, they often move off abruptly before students can board. When the same happened yesterday, home guard Nagarajan first stood in front of the bus. But when the bus didn’t halt and stopped only when it was almost brushing my body, I was forced to protest by lying on the road, said Nagarajan.

When the bus finally stopped, Nagarajan got up, spoke to the driver and moved aside. Students cheered loudly as he lay down in front of the vehicle.

Traffic police had conducted checks the previous day following complaints that students were not being allowed to board at the stop.

However, bus employees claimed the problem arises when all students try to board a single bus. The issue could be resolved, they said, if teachers and the PTA ensured that only about 10 students boarded each bus.