Ponkunnam: In connection with the incident where empty water bottles were found piled up inside a fast passenger bus travelling from Mundakayam to Thiruvananthapuram, Minister Ganesh Kumar intervened, leading to disciplinary action. As a first step, three staff members from the Ponkunnam KSRTC depot were issued transfer orders. However, just a day later, the transfer order was reportedly suspended, and a verbal directive was issued via phone, stating that release orders were not to be given.

The transfer order, issued Friday evening by the Chief Office, named driver Jaimon Joseph, vehicle supervisor K S Sajeev and mechanical chargeman Vinod. On Sunday evening, a phone message from the head office conveyed the new directive. Jaimon Joseph was to be transferred to the Pudukkad depot (Thrissur district), Sajeev to Thrissur depot and Vinod to Kodungallur.

The incident occurred on the morning of October 1, when the bus (RSC 700) departed from Mundakayam to Thiruvananthapuram. As Minister Ganesh Kumar, following behind, overtook the bus near Ayoor, Kollam, he noticed drinking water bottles stacked near the front windshield. He stopped and inspected the bus himself, citing its unclean condition and lack of proper maintenance. He then directed the ministerial squad to file a report.

The squad reported that the bus was dirty and had not been washed, which led to departmental action. K S Sajeev, one of those penalised, is the Kottayam District Treasurer of KSRT Employees’ Association (CITU). The move sparked dissatisfaction, as it was seen as action against a union leader under a Left government. It is believed that the subsequent directive suspending the transfers came as a result.

The driver is a member of the TDF union, and the mechanical staff member is affiliated with BMS. Protests arose over the minister targeting staff when basic infrastructure is lacking.

According to the staff, only two daily-wage workers are assigned for cleaning, and one of them is currently on leave due to a hand injury. As a result, a single worker cannot clean all buses daily, so the driver and conductor themselves often clean the interiors.

The staff also pointed out that in older bus models, like the one involved, there are no designated racks for water bottles, so they are usually placed near the front glass. Moreover, the Ponkunnam depot has no well of its own; water is pumped from a well located two kilometres away in Pattuppara. On days when there are pumping issues, there is often insufficient water to clean buses, they added.