The Kerala High Court on Friday warned the Kochi Corporation of possible contempt proceedings for failing to restore footpaths in the city and directed the Kochi police to bring every private bus driver under a proposed Smart ID system with QR codes, as it heard a case concerning road conditions and public road safety in the state, Bar and Bench reported.

Source: Bar and Bench

Justice Devan Ramachandran passed the directions after the Court examined footage of the accident involving a private bus at Kakkanad in which 28-year-old Akshara was killed while walking along the side of the road. Kochi Deputy Commissioner of Police Arun K Pavithran, who appeared before the Court online, informed it that the police were introducing a Smart ID system with QR codes for private bus drivers and other employees to monitor their activities and violations.

"Now you are saying that there will be a Smart ID system with a QR code. Make sure that every driver comes under that system. We will give you a week's time and we will pray to God that until the next one week, nothing happens. That's all we can say," Justice Ramachandran said, according to Bar and Bench.

Turning to pedestrian safety, the Court criticised the Kochi Corporation for failing to keep footpaths free from encroachments and warned it of possible contempt proceedings. "Our roads don't have footpaths. Whatever footpaths are there are encroached or parked upon by cars and vehicles. People are forced to walk on streets. The incident that we saw, there is no footpath at all," the judge said. The Court recorded the assurance of the standing counsel for the corporation that it would work with the police to improve the situation.

LawChakra reported that the Court was told the bus driver had eight earlier cases against him, including drug-related offences, and that a preliminary medical examination had not pointed to alcohol consumption, with samples collected and further results awaited. The criminal case arising from the accident is still under investigation, and the Court has expressed no view on the driver's culpability.

Source: LawChakra

The Court recorded the DCP's assurance that the police would crack down on reckless driving and take steps to restore dysfunctional surveillance cameras, and his submission that non-compliance with the Smart ID system could be reported to the Motor Vehicles Department for cancellation of permits. It also reiterated that the 'Traffic Eye' complaint number 6238100100 must be displayed prominently on private buses so citizens can report reckless driving.

Expressing grief over Akshara's death, the Court observed: "Action after an accident is merely an afterthought. What is necessary is the will and the commitment to avoid it." Kochi's IT community has separately launched a road-safety campaign and petition after the death near Infopark, Mirror Now reported. The matter will be heard next on November 13.