Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: All KTC bus drivers will be tested for alcohol consumption on all bus stands across the state with alcometers from next week.
Stand in-charge at each of the bus stands will be responsible for checking if the drivers are drunk. Drivers with history of alcohol consumption will be checked on priority.
There will be no question of any permissible limit, any amount of alcohol consumption detected will make the drivers liable for action, informed KTC MD Derrick Pereira.
He also informed that there is severe shortage of buses as well as staff in KTC. The corporation is in need of 206 more buses, he informed.
The drunken driving by KTC bus driver came to fore after one driver of Panaji-Valpoi bus was found driving under the influence of alcohol. He was later suspended by KTC.
The decision was taken during a board meeting chaired by Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuecar, signaling a commitment to the well-being of KTCL staff and the safety of passengers.
Expert counsellors will be enlisted to conduct 30-minute sessions at each depot, fostering a supportive environment for positive change.
The timing of this initiative is critical for KTCL, as it has faced 201 accidents in the last five years (2018-2023), resulting in ten fatalities.
Nonetheless, recent data from KTC authorities reveals a significant reduction in accidents, with 21 reported in 2020-2021 and 28 in 2021-2022—the lowest figures recorded in the past five years.
However, it is noteworthy that in 2022-23, the number experienced a slight increase, reaching 38.