KOCHI: As if negotiating the state’s tumultuous roads were not jittery enough for parents of school children, an alarming number of school bus drivers were booked on Friday for drink-driving. As many as 38 drivers were found operating their vehicles, with children on board, in an inebriated state in five police districts under the Kochi Police Range.
The police cracked down on errant school bus drivers in Kochi City, Ernakulam Rural, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki police districts. Starting around 6 am and continuing up to 11 am, 200 vehicles were checked.
Officers said the highest number of drivers booked for driving under the influence of alcohol was from Ernakulam Rural - 14. Alappuzha followed with 13 cases while five cases each were registered in Kochi City and Kottayam.
Idukki accounted for a single case. The assistance of the MVD is being sought to suspend the driving licence of the culprits.
Kochi Range IG P Vijayan told Express the number of cases registered during the drive was quite surprising.
“Finding drivers in an inebriated state in the morning shows they are severely alcoholic,” Vijayan said.
“They risk the lives of young children. We found some drivers dropping kindergarten students too were under the influence of alcohol,” he said.
Students themselves had passed on vital information to the police to conduct the surprise check. Inputs from Student Police Cadets and interactions with other students during the ‘Clean Campus Safe Campus’ too proved useful.
“Students had told our officers some of the school bus drivers operated after consuming liquor. There were also complaints about misbehaviour from drivers under such a state,” Vijayan said. Having registered cases against these drivers, the cops have decided to take the matter up with school authorities and parents.
“Parents can at least ensure they are sending their children in safer hands. Similarly, school authorities should check whether they have appointed a severely alcoholic driver,” said Vijayan.
Sunil CK, a government servant sending his children to school in private carriages, said it was high time parents appointed responsible drivers. “This development raises huge safety concern for schoolchildren,” Sunil said.