Kochi: Twenty-nine school and college bus drivers were booked for driving under the influence of alcohol during a large-scale inspection conducted across the Ernakulam Range as part of the police’s Operation Toofan, a special drive aimed at ensuring the safety of students.

The surprise inspection, carried out on Monday under the direction of Ernakulam Range DIG Yatish Chandra, covered educational institutions in Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts. Police teams screened drivers of school, college buses and other vehicles used for transporting students before initiating action against those found violating the law.

A total of 3,333 drivers attached to 1,231 educational institutions underwent alcohol breathalyser tests during the operation. Of them, 29 drivers tested positive for alcohol and were booked under the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Police sources said legal proceedings have been initiated against all the offenders.

Among the four districts, Alappuzha recorded the highest number of violations, with nine drivers found driving under the influence of alcohol. In Ernakulam Rural police limits, seven of the 1,162 drivers tested across 373 schools were booked. Kottayam reported six drunk drivers out of 688 drivers screened in 311 schools, while Idukki recorded seven offenders among 849 drivers tested across 303 educational institutions.

The police have directed the management of the concerned educational institutions to initiate steps to terminate the services of the drivers who were found driving after consuming alcohol.

The police are likely to hand over the lists of the drivers to the motor vehicle department. Whether actions like cancelling their driving licenses will be decided later. 

DIG Yatish Chandra said the police would adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards violations that endanger the lives of students. He warned that strict action would continue against anyone found compromising student safety and said similar surprise inspections would be conducted regularly without prior notice.

The police also instructed school managements and vehicle owners to ensure that drivers engaged for student transport possess valid licences, meet the required physical fitness standards and carry all mandatory documents. Authorities stressed that there can be no compromise on student safety.