Fifth of bus drivers use drugs: test

The National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) held a joint meeting with the Ministry of Interior yesterday, reporting “many successes”, despite the fact that a whopping 20 percent of tested bus drivers were found to be using drugs.

“The new Traffic Law was successful because the number of dead and injured are down as seen in the report … The implementation went very well and has had many successes,” said Min Meanvy, secretary of state at the Transport Ministry and secretary in charge of NRSC.

Meanvy, nonetheless, acknowledged that an investigation revealed that 129 of 665 bus drivers examined had tested positive for drug use. She did not, however, address what measures had been taken against the drivers. The NRSC also issued formal warnings to three bus companies – Virak Buntham, Rith Mony and 15SH – for being unsafe.

Meanvy also revealed that of 278,218 drivers found to be operating vehicles while intoxicated, only 605 were actually sent to court. Meanvy said yesterday that most were simply fined and released. “Most of them were immediately educated and fined at the place where they were found,” she said.