In a major step towards ensuring safe journey of bus passengers, the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) terminated the services of 17 contractual drivers and suspended a regular driver who reported on duty in an inebriated state.
“The UPSRTC issued a circular for breath tests of regular and contractual drivers. Officials are monitoring the progress of work and the quality of bus operations on a daily basis. They are taking appropriate decisions to ensure safety of passengers,” said Raj Shekhar, MD, UPSRTC.
“In the last 20 days, 80 teams of UPSRTC officials conducted 3,905 breath tests across all routes of the corporation in the state. As many as 1,027 permanent and 2,878 contractual drivers were made to undergo the test through breath analyser machines,” he said.
The teams tested 3,905 drivers, of which 18 were found ‘positive for alcohol’, he added.
Seventeen of these drivers were contractual and one was on the rolls of UPSRTC.
Shekhar said, “Following zero tolerance for ‘drink & drive habit’, the UPSRTC has dismissed 17 contractual drivers who were found positive for alcohol and suspended one permanent driver for the same reason.”
“For the awareness of drivers, sessions on safe driving and dos & don’ts have been conducted at all bus stations and regional offices of UPSRTC in the last 20 days,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“For the awareness of drivers, sessions on safe driving and dos & don’ts have been conducted at all bus stations and regional offices of UPSRTC in the last 20 days,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The UPSRTC headquarter is monitoring drivers on a daily basis and getting reports, photographs and videos from all bus stations, said Raj Shekhar.