Bharat bandh: Kerala bus driver wears bike helmet while on duty

On a day when the Bharat bandh severely impacted Kerala, and many KSRTC employees also joined the strike despite assurances by Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar that the buses would ply, the state witnessed some unusual morning scenes. Shibu Thomas, one of the few KSRTC employees who showed up for work, decided to prioritise his safety alongside his sense of duty. Shibu, a driver with KSRTC, drove his bus on the Pathanamthitta-Kollam route wearing a bike helmet. Considering the various past incidents in which buses were stoned and drivers were injured, it's hard to blame the driver, says many on social media. 

According to Manorama News, the bus was stopped at Adoor by the strike protesters, regardless. Though Shibu and his colleagues tried to reason with them, citing that there were even patients heading to hospitals on the bus, the protestors didn't budge. They arranged another vehicle for the patients, especially those to the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), and didn't let the bus continue on service. Though not as 'striking,' similar incidents are unfolding in other parts of the state, too, on the day of the Bharat bandh.  

Interestingly, a few KSRTC employees from Kochi told Manorama News that, although they are ready to work if the police can ensure protection, they weren't willing to do so. The driver and conductor of the bus, which was supposed to depart at 5 am from the Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand to the Nedumbasseri International Airport, said that many passengers called them asking about the status, and they had to say the bus was blocked. A KSRTC driver was also reportedly manhandled during the Karnagappally-Kollam service. Various other buses to Amrita Hospital were also blocked. Meanwhile, buses in Thiruvananthapuram are operating services to the Regional Cancer Centre, Medical College, and Sri Chithra Hospital. 
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