Kottarakkara: Kaushik, the student who was seriously injured when a tipper lorry crashed into the bus stand at Nileshwaram in Kottarakkara, Kollam, has been shifted to Thiruvananthapuram for specialised treatment.

He was transferred from Kollam Medicity Hospital to Ananthapuri Hospital following a request from his parents. Authorities said the move was made to ensure expert medical care for the child.

The parents had conveyed their concerns to Ministers P.C. Vishnunath and Bindu Krishna, who visited the hospital. Following their assurance that all necessary arrangements would be made, steps were taken to transfer Kaushik to Thiruvananthapuram.

Meanwhile, further details have emerged about the tipper lorry and its driver, raising serious concerns over regulatory lapses.

Enforcement RTO A.K. Dilu told the media that the driver did not possess a valid licence to operate heavy vehicles.

"The vehicle was being driven by a person without a heavy vehicle licence. He lacked experience in operating such vehicles. The driver had spent a long period working in the Gulf and had only recently returned. The accident appears to have occurred after he began driving an unfamiliar vehicle," Dilu said.

He added that the driver failed to follow the required road rules when descending from the T-junction and entering the main road.

"The vehicle's VLTDS (Vehicle Location Tracking Device) is not showing as operational. There are suspicions that it may have been deliberately disconnected by the owners. Proceedings have been initiated to revoke both the vehicle's permit and the driver's licence," he said.

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Investigations have also revealed that the vehicle had been operating without a valid fitness certificate since 2024. Its fitness certificate was renewed only two months ago, on 2 April this year. However, fitness clearance was reportedly granted without verifying whether the GPS tracking system was functioning properly.

The case has exposed what appears to be a significant lapse on the part of the Motor Vehicles Department. The 17-year-old tipper lorry is alleged to have been poorly maintained, and reports suggest it was a habitual traffic offender.

According to officials, the vehicle had accumulated numerous traffic challans, many of which remain unpaid.

Questions are now being raised over why neither the police nor the Motor Vehicles Department took stronger action against the vehicle, despite it continuing to operate after its fitness certificate had expired and being repeatedly caught committing traffic violations.

Records indicate that even after it was booked for an offence on 30 January this year, the vehicle was released upon payment of a fine of just Rs 250.

Officials said the owner had repeatedly avoided stricter enforcement by paying relatively small penalties. It was only when the prospect of revenue recovery proceedings arose that the owner moved to clear outstanding taxes and renew the vehicle's fitness certification two months ago.

The fact that the same vehicle had reportedly continued to travel at high speed along this route until the recent accident has intensified scrutiny of both the police and the Motor Vehicles Department, with critics alleging negligence in enforcing road safety regulations.