Kottayam bus crash: MVD flags excessive speed, worn tyres; driver faces licence cancellation

Kottayam: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) confirmed that excessive speed was the main cause of the crash involving the Thandapra private bus at Chanthakavala on Friday.

Regional Transport Officer (RTO) D Jayaraj stated that action has been initiated to cancel the licence of the driver, 25-year-old Atul Biju from Kurichi, as well as the fitness certificate of the vehicle. Kottayam West Police have also submitted a report seeking the cancellation of the driver's licence.

Biju had allegedly lost control of the bus, leading the vehicle to jump onto the pavement, trapping at least five women underneath. One of the victims, 18-year-old Anjali of Nattassery, succumbed to her injuries at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital on Saturday.

While the driver claimed that the brakes failed when he applied them on a slippery, rain-soaked road, initial police checks found no mechanical defect in the braking system. Instead, authorities discovered severe tyre wear on the rear wheels and suspected tampering with the vehicle's speed governor. Speed governors are often operational only during fitness tests and are later disconnected by operators to maintain aggressive trip timings, sources said.

Rain prevents a larger tragedy
Chanthakavala is typically crowded with over 100 commuters, mostly women working in nearby commercial establishments, after 6.30 pm every evening. Local shopkeepers noted that heavy rain had delayed many workers from stepping out to wait for buses, which inadvertently prevented a far higher casualty count.

Community members reminded authorities that demands for a proper bus shelter and safety measures at Chanthakavala had been submitted to the Taluk Development Committee 18 months ago, but went unheeded until this tragic incident forced officials to install speed breakers at the site.