THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Jayaprakash, a KSRTC driver and family staged protest at Palode depot in Thiruvananthapuram after he was denied duty for testing positive on breathalyser test.
The driver, a native of Pachamala however claimed innocence as he is a teetotaller. After his request for a retest was denied by the station master he staged a protest by lying down in the office along with his family members.
The test was carried out on Friday morning when he reported for duty on his usual Palode-Perayam route. Jayaprakash also raised concerns that the breathalyser machine had been faulty for a week.
After the media reports of the protest Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar asked the KSRTC CMD to intervene. A hearing would be held at Nedumangad depot.
KSRTC faced a similar issue when a conductor in Kozhikode depot was tested positive during a breathalyser, though he used a homeopathic medicine with alcohol content.
KSRTC made breathalyser test mandatory as part of the initiative to prevent drunken driving.