Mumbai BEST crash: 3 wet lease bus drivers caught with alcohol in recent days, sacked

MUMBAI: Within three days of the arrest of a wet lease bus driver for the Kurla crash, a video of another wet lease driver in Bandra (E) caught buying and carrying a sealed alcohol bottle in the bus while on duty has gone viral.

Days before the Kurla tragedy, a case had come to light in Mulund wherein the driver of a wet lease bus was found with an open bottle behind the wheel. He was also allegedly found drunk, an official said. Some weeks ago, a driver from Gorai depot was caught buying wine.

BEST GM Anil Diggikar told TOI: "This will not be tolerated. We approached the wet lease contractors and the drivers have been sacked."

In the Mulund incident, sources said the driver was confronted by a security guard who discovered him with a half-empty liquor bottle.

‘Breathalyser tests to be made mandatory for all bus drivers’

The Mulund footage shows the guard displaying the bottle to the driver, who persistently denies ownership. The guard is seen admonishing the driver, saying: "Why are you so irresponsible and inebriated while driving... You will perish in a crash and also endanger the lives of several passengers." The driver, whose speech is slurred, continues denying the bottle belongs to him. A senior BEST official said the driver was "found drunk on duty".

In the Bandra (E) incident, the bus driver was fired after footage of him purchasing liquor from a shop and getting into the driver's seat was circulated widely. The video shows the bus parked by a roadside. A senior BEST traffic wing official said according to BEST protocols, drivers were prohibited from purchasing or possessing alcohol during working hours. "The driver procured alcohol while in service and was scheduled to transport additional passengers. Following a probe, the wet lease operator terminated his employment," he added.

Another BEST official said: "You can do this during off-duty hours. We have no problem with that."

Diggikar had announced on Wednesday that breathalyser tests would become mandatory for all drivers before commencing and after completing their daily routes.

"We are implementing this for passenger safety as there is no check on drivers — whether he is drinking on duty or not." he said.

A bus driver, speaking anonymously, said the majority of drivers abstained from drinking while on duty. "We will cooperate with the authorities if they introduce breathalyser tests," he said.

Activist Godfrey Pimenta said, "It was perilous for drivers to purchase liquor and there was no way one could ascertain if any driver was inebriated on duty since at present, there is no breathalyser test." In the Kurla crash, the driver was not intoxicated on duty and the vehicle also had no brake failure, it is learned.


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