Alert passengers in TN notice bus being driven rashly, report drunk driver to cops

The TNSTC bus was en route to Trichy when the passengers noticed that the driver was in an inebriated state.
Alert passengers in TN notice bus being driven rashly, report drunk driver to cops
Alert passengers in TN notice bus being driven rashly, report drunk driver to cops
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An accident involving a government bus was averted by its alert passengers who identified that their driver was in an inebriated condition.

According to reports, the incident happened in the wee hours on Sunday. Over 50 passengers were aboard a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus en route to Trichy from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) Koyambedu. The bus was operated by 53-year-old Durairaj and the conductor of the bus was Prabhakaran.

As the bus, belonging to Villupuram depot, started from CMBT, the passengers noticed that the driver was allegedly driving the bus rashly. Suspecting that the driver was drunk, the passengers alerted the conductor, but he did not act on the complaints made by the passengers. When the bus reached Singaperumal Koil near Chengalpet, the passengers forced the driver to stop the vehicle and alerted the police. The nearest police patrol vehicle reached the spot and conducted a breathalyser test on both the conductor and the driver and found both of them to be drunk.

The police officials immediately spoke to TNSTC and arranged another bus to enable the passengers resume their journey. Meanwhile, the police also registered an FIR against Durairaj for driving under the influence of alcohol.

This is not the first time that the inadequacies of state-owned transport corporations have come to light. TNSTC came under fire recently when videos of the roof of a town bus being ripped apart by the wind went viral on social media. The bus, on its way to Pollachi, had received its renewed Fitness Certificate only two months ago. 

In 2018, the TNSTC had suspended a driver for speaking about the bad conditions of buses on camera. He had spoken about water seeping into the bus during heavy rains, as the bus was stationed at a bus stand and it was pouring outside. After immense media pressure, the suspension was revoked and the driver was reinstated. 

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