HYDERABAD: Traffic police personnel were left stunned and deeply disturbed during a special drive on Wednesday when five school bus drivers were found to be under the influence of alcohol while on duty.
The drive, carried out by the West and North Zone Traffic Police, targeted school buses at 34 locations including Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Panjagutta, Begumpet, SR Nagar, Marredpally, Bowenpally, Trimulgherry, Mahankali, and Gopalpuram. A total of 324 school buses were inspected, out of which five drivers were found to have consumed alcohol.
DCP Traffic-I, Rahul Hegde, BK IPS, underlined the necessity for school managements to strictly adhere to the Supreme Court’s safety guidelines for the transportation of students.
The incident has revived grim memories of a tragic accident in August 2019 in Rajanna Sircilla district, where three girl students lost their lives and several others sustained injuries in a school van mishap. In that case, too, the driver was allegedly inebriated and taken into police custody.
The van, belonging to Vaageeshwari Talent School in Vemulawada, was ferrying 26 students to their hostel at Chintaltana R&R Colony for lunch when the driver reportedly braked abruptly, causing the vehicle to overturn. The van is also said to have struck a divider. Two students died at the scene, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment at Sircilla town area hospital.