The Kerala High Court has voiced its profound astonishment over the recent transfer of Jaimon Joseph, a driver with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). His ‘disciplinary action’ stemmed from the seemingly minor offense of placing two water bottles on his bus’s dashboard, an act the court noted was likely due to a lack of alternative storage for essential hydration.
This surprising observation came during Thursday’s hearing of Joseph’s petition, which contests his transfer from Kottayam to Thrissur. The punitive action followed an incident where Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar stopped Joseph’s Fast Passenger bus and ordered a crackdown on drivers displaying items on dashboards. Joseph asserted that the bottles contained drinking water for his 210 km journey, crucial for avoiding inconvenient stops for passengers, and that his driver’s cabin offered no other suitable place for them. In its defense, KSRTC had cited a 2024 circular prohibiting such displays.
During the proceedings, a bench led by Justice N. Nagaresh challenged KSRTC to provide a clear justification for the transfer. The judge remarked pointedly that the bottles held water, not alcohol, and questioned the basis of such a significant personnel move. Justice Nagaresh emphasized that any transfer must be rooted in legitimate reason or public interest, strongly suggesting a need for a fundamental shift in the corporation’s operational culture.
Furthermore, Joseph’s plea highlighted that the KSRTC circular in question specifically applied only to Super Deluxe services, arguing it held no sway over drivers of Fast Passenger buses like his. He reiterated his need for the water bottles during his long Poonkunnam-Thiruvananthapuram route to ensure a smooth, uninterrupted service for commuters.