Kerala - Kochi   

Motor strike disrupts life

Staff Reporter

Schoolboy, teacher injured in stone pelting

KOCHI: The strike called by motor trade unions against the hike in insurance premium was near total in the city.

Private vehicles were seen plying but public transport vehicles and goods carriers kept off the road.

The strike was marked by an isolated instance of violence, when a school bus was pelted with stones.

One person among a group of five was arrested. The arrested was identified as Suneer, 28, of Chalikkavattom.

The police said the group pelted stones at a school bus of Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Giri Nagar. A fourth standard student Gokul, 11, and Rema Devi, teacher at the school, were injured when the group threw stones and broke the windscreen on the rear of the bus.

The incident occurred at Chalikkavattom at 7 a.m. Gokul was given four stitches for the head injury at Welcare Hospital. Ms. Devi suffered minor injuries caused by the shattering shards.

A police party led by Francis Shelby, sub-inspector, Ernakulam Town Central, took five persons into custody for attempting to stop traffic on Mullasserry Canal road.

Those arrested were identified as T.K. Nishanth, 30, of Elamakkara; Sunil, 37, of Edappally; Mahesh, 25, of Kodanthuruthu; P.P. Binu, 26, of Chandiroor; and Sudhin Kumar, 28, of Eroor.

They were booked under CrPC 151 as preventive arrests and were released in the evening, said the police.

The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation operated 10 additional bus services to make up for private buses keeping off the road.

The Corporation operated two additional services each on Ernakulam-Kakkanad, Vaikom-Ernakulam and Piravom-Ernakulam routes and one additional service each along Willingdon Island-Aluva, Thalayolaparambu-Ernakulam, Chottanikkara- Ernakulam and Chellanam-Thoppumpady routes.

Though no attacks were reported against any of the buses, almost all services recorded minimal collections, said a KSRTC official.

In a release here, the Ernakulam District Motor Thozhilali Sanghom (BMS) called for repeal of the hike in insurance premium. Trade unions that called for the strike held protest rally in the city.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Motor strike disrupts life
Resolve to block garbage dumping
`No impropriety in Muringoor probe'
Jacobite bishops offer prayers
`Human Rights Vigil' on Republic Day
Security stepped up
Next issue
Zooming in on mafia
In the spotlight
Republic Day celebrations
Around The City
In Kochi Today

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu