Kerala Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar addressed a significant concern in the Assembly regarding the safety standards of vehicles registered in Nagaland. The issue came to light following a tragic accident involving a luxury inter-state stage carrier in Kochi, where a motorcyclist lost his life after the bus overturned at a busy junction.
It was revealed that the bus, registered in Nagaland, had violated body building codes by installing six additional sleeping berths, which compromised its stability and control, leading to the accident.
This was one of the main reasons for the loss of control over the bus which led to the accident, the Minister said.
“There are a lot of stage carriers registered in Nagaland plying in the State in violation of the body building codes to accommodate more passengers and goods. Vehicles registered in Kerala or neighbouring States like Tamil Nadu cannot be subjected to body alterations or designs,” the Minister added.
Minister Ganesh further submitted that this is a serious issue, and that the State would write to the Nagaland authorities to bring the issue to their attention or send a team there to appraise them about the violation. (With inputs from The Hindu)