Drunk man drives school bus with five students onboard

A bus driver has been arrested for ferrying schoolchildren while being drunk at the wheel. Bettaswamy, 43, was arrested at Nagarabhavi junction, west Bengaluru, on Tuesday during a special police drive against drunk-driving.

Bettaswamy, a resident of Mallathahalli, owns a mini bus and ferries students from their homes to school and back. Around 7.40 am on Tuesday, he was driving from Moodalapalya to Nagarabhavi to pick up students. Policemen at the traffic signal noticed him speeding.

They waved him down and subjected him to alcometer test. The result indicated that he was drunk. “There were five students in the bus. We made alternative arrangements to send them to school,” the inspector of Byatarayanapura traffic police station told DH.

When questioned, Bettaswamy admitted to getting drunk on Monday night but insisted he didn’t consume alcohol on Tuesday morning. Police booked him for drunk-driving and seized his vehicle.

DCP (Traffic West) S Girish said the traffic police would recommend to the Regional Transport Authorities (RTA) to suspend Bettaswamy’s driving licence. 

“We will also request the RTA to cancel his permit. The RTA will be requested not to issue permits to drivers unless they are attached to a school,” he said.
The DCP said there were no complaints against drivers attached to schools.