Commuters have expressed concerns over road safety following the recent detention of a few inebriated bus drivers from the Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus in Puducherry.

During the ongoing traffic enforcement drive, the police nabbed three bus drivers from the terminus after they failed breath analyzer test. The drivers were caught before they boarded the bus for daily service.

The owners were immediately alerted, and the drunk drivers were offloaded. The bus owners then arranged alternate drivers to operate the bus. The inebriated drivers were made to pay a fine of ₹10,000, police said.

The incident had sent shock waves among residents who depend on private and government buses for daily commuting. There had been several complaints in the past about the reckless manner the public carriers are driven by the drivers.

Residents said the news about the drivers failing the breath analyser test was a matter of grave concern. The only way such flagrant violations could be checked was through strict enforcement and punitive action against offenders, they said.

“It is good that the police started enforcement of traffic rules. Over speeding and reckless driving by private bus drivers have for a long time become a norm in Puducherry. Even within the town limit, they flout rules and if we question them, they react rudely,” said a resident.

Another resident said the onus should be on the bus owners to make their employees follow traffic rules and behave with commuters properly. For that, they should do background checks before recruiting drivers and conductors.

“The bus owners should recruit drivers after proper screening. They should have a mechanism to regularly monitor the conduct of the drivers and other staff while on duty. If the owners start regularly monitoring them, they be mindful of their conduct,” said the resident.

The traffic police should continue to monitor the functioning of bus drivers. Truck and other minibus drivers should be screened on a regular basis. The drivers of luxury buses plying from the bus stand area to other States should also be monitored, said Ravichandran, a resident of Lawspet.

Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Rachna Singh said the traffic police have also started screening autorickshaw drivers. Challans were issued to 6 autorickshaw drivers for driving vehicles after getting drunk. “After we launched the drive, we have recommended to the Transport Department cancellation of licence of 248 persons who were found to be repeat offenders. They include those repeatedly caught for drunken driving,” she said. 

According to a senior officer, when some of the newly recruits join traffic police after training, the enforcement will be intensified.