An AMTS driver was removed from service and the agency operating his bus was fined ₹50,000 after he allegedly drove under the influence of alcohol and caused an accident near Jamalpur Pagathiya in Ahmedabad, according to an AMTS official quoted by Gujarat Samachar. No deaths were reported in the incident.
The driver, identified as Suresh Rajput, was operating route number 143’s shuttle bus when the incident occurred. The report stated that he was driving in an intoxicated condition and put commuters and other people using the road at risk. Local residents reportedly detained the driver and handed him over to personnel at Gaekwad Haveli Police Station.
An AMTS official confirmed that the driver had consumed alcohol. The official said he was removed from service with immediate effect and that Arham, the agency responsible for operating the bus, had been penalised ₹50,000.
The action places responsibility on both the individual driver and the contracted operator. AMTS services are operated through agencies, making operator-level supervision an important part of the public transport safety chain. The supplied report did not specify whether the driver underwent a breathalyser test before being handed over to the police or whether further criminal proceedings had been initiated.
The incident has also prompted calls for mandatory breathalyser testing at every AMTS bus depot before drivers begin their routes. Ahmedabad city Congress spokesperson Atik Saiyed demanded that drivers be tested before buses are allowed to leave depots, arguing that screening at the start of a shift could help prevent similar incidents. He also sought legal action against the driver and permanent removal from service.
The episode comes amid earlier reported concerns involving AMTS bus operations. In July, an AMTS bus collided with a divider near Ellisbridge, with suspicion reportedly raised about whether the driver was intoxicated. An inquiry was initiated at the time, according to the report. In September, an overtaking dispute between AMTS and BRTS drivers near Iskcon Cross Roads disrupted bus services and caused inconvenience to passengers. Another reported matter involved two electric AMTS buses operating with identical number plates.
The immediate administrative measures announced in the present case are the driver’s removal and the ₹50,000 penalty imposed on the operating agency. Further details about police action, the driver’s test results and whether AMTS will introduce mandatory depot-level breathalyser checks were not provided in the supplied report.
