Robin bus seized by MVD at 1am, shifted to police camp

Pathanamthitta: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has seized the controversial private bus Robin for continuing to operate services after 'repeatedly' violating permit rules.

The MVD authorities chased the bus with a huge police force when the bus returned to Pathanamthitta from Coimbatore at 1 am on Friday and seized the vehicle. The bus was then shifted to Pathanamthitta police camp.

A case has been registered against the bus for violating permit rules. Apart from this, the MVD has also taken steps to cancel the license of the driver. A fine of Rs 7,500 was imposed on the bus near Erumeli in the early hours of Friday.

The owner's claim that the Supreme Court verdict was in favour of him is incorrect, the MVD officials said, adding they are also contemplating taking action against the vloggers who called for violation of the law. At the same time, bus operators said the action of the officials in violating the court order was outrageous.

Though the bus was released in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday after around Rs 1 lakh was paid as a fine, the bus owners have not paid any fine in Kerala.

The Pathanamthitta-Coimbatore service of Robin bus was launched on August 30. However, officials of the Motor Vehicles Department cancelled the fitness of the bus after two days at the Ranni private bus stand. The bus, which took 45 days to pass the fitness test, resumed its service once again on October 16. But the service was short-lived. The bus was seized in Ranni again citing permit violations. The vehicle was returned after 25 days following the order of the Ranni Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court. There is a Kerala High Court directing authorities to allow the service.