After 18 years on the road in a Kerala RTC bus, the driver Paul Kurien got an emotional farewell that described not only a career end but also a very personal beginning of a very emotional journey.
Paul Kurien worked as a driver for more than two decades, driving passengers safely on many trips and making money for his family. He never failed to transport his passengers safely, the account says, and he completed 18 years of service as a driver without any accident.
Kurien’s farewell to his bus when retirement was imminent was the most touching moment of his long career.
Instead of walking away after his last duty, Kurien stopped beside the bus that had been a part of his working life. He reached down and touched the worn-out tyres of the bus and thanked the people of this city for the work he had done to make a living and to support his family for 18 years.
తన కుటుంబాన్ని పోషించింది.. 18 ఏళ్ల పాటు డ్రైవర్గా ప్రయాణికులకు ఎలాంటి ప్రమాదం జరగకుండా కాపాడింది.
— greatandhra (@greatandhranews) September 4, 2026
డ్రైవర్గా పదవీ విరమణ సందర్భంగా తన బతుకు బండిని మోసిన బస్సు టైర్లకు మొక్కుతూ, బస్సును హత్తుకుని తనకు జీవనాన్ని ఇచ్చిన బస్సుకు కృతజ్ఞతలు చెప్పిన కేరళ ఆర్టీసీ బస్సు డ్రైవర్ పాల్… pic.twitter.com/k2E0qlYr0q
And then he hugged the bus, an emotional gesture that expressed the bond he had developed with the vehicle over the years.
For many people, a bus might be a means of transportation. But for Kurien, the bus was much more to him. It was his job, his responsibility, and his income, which enabled him to take care of his family. Each day in the seat behind the wheel meant another day of work and another chance to provide for the people who depended on him.
His kind gesture also brought home to people who are working the day-to-day life of ordinary people a human being's life. Drivers are driving for hours on a daily basis in vehicles, negotiating traffic, weather conditions, and long hours of schedules in which they can be the driver who takes care of so many passengers. And so much of their work is underappreciated, but their work is an essential part of public transportation.
Kurien’s retirement moment offered a rare glimpse into that personal side of the profession.
A veteran driver touching the tyres of his bus and hugging it before getting off the job has made people proud because it means gratitude (and not just farewell). The worn tyres themselves became an emblem of the millions of kilometres he’d traveled in his years of service.
For 18 years, the bus was part of Kurien’s daily life. He got into the driver’s seat, took responsibility for his passengers, and carried out his duties. The vehicle became a part of his professional identity and his family’s life and became linked to it over time.
Retirement is the start of a new chapter for Kurien, but the memories of his years on the road will remain with him. The bus’s last goodbye is a visual reminder that every public service worker has a story of hard work, dedication, and persistence.
Kerala RTC driver Paul Kurien's emotional retirement moment has thus become more than just a goodbye. It’s a tribute to 18 years of service, safe driving, and honest work—and the humble bus that has fed his family all those years.
Gratitude does not need many words sometimes. A touch, a hug, and a final goodbye can say everything.
