An Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) driver has been removed from service after allegedly driving a route 143 shuttle bus in an intoxicated condition near Jamalpur Pagthiya, putting commuters and other road users at risk. AMTS has also imposed a penalty of ₹50,000 on the agency operating the bus.
The incident occurred when the bus, being driven by Suresh Rajput, met with an accident near Jamalpur. No deaths were reported in the incident. An AMTS official confirmed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol while operating the bus and said he had been removed from service with immediate effect.
The transport authority also fined the private agency responsible for operating the bus. The supplied report does not specify the nature or extent of the accident, whether passengers were on board at the time, or whether police registered a separate case against the driver.
The action has renewed questions about how drivers of public buses are screened before beginning their shifts. Ahmedabad city Congress spokesperson Atik Saiyed called for mandatory breathalyser tests for drivers at every AMTS depot before buses are sent onto their routes. He said buses should be cleared for operation only after drivers’ sobriety has been checked.
Saiyed also demanded legal action against the driver and called for his permanent removal from service. These demands were made after the AMTS-confirmed action against the driver and the fine imposed on the operating agency.
The latest incident follows other reported disruptions and safety concerns involving Ahmedabad’s bus services. In July, an AMTS bus collided with a divider near Ellisbridge. At the time, there was suspicion that the driver might have been intoxicated, and an inquiry was initiated. In September, a dispute over overtaking between AMTS and Bus Rapid Transit System drivers near ISKCON crossroads disrupted bus operations and caused inconvenience to passengers.
The Jamalpur incident places the focus on the responsibilities shared by AMTS and contracted operating agencies. While AMTS has confirmed the driver’s removal and the ₹50,000 penalty, the report does not state whether breathalyser testing is currently conducted routinely across all depots or whether the authority has ordered a system-wide review of driver screening.
AMTS’s stated immediate steps are the driver’s removal from service and the financial penalty against the operating agency. The demand for mandatory depot-level breathalyser testing remains a proposal made after the incident.
