Bus driver sacked over drink driving arrest

A CO Waterford bus driver, who was reported and caught drink driving after being reported to the gardaí by anxious passengers, has been sacked.

The man in his 40s has lost his job with Rapid Express as a result of his actions on Monday morning, the company’s managing director has confirmed. A number of passenger on the coach were worried about his driving and contacted the coach company and the gardaí to complain.

“He had three or four pints on Sunday night which put him barely over the limit,” Rapid Express’ Paul Kavanagh said. “However, it was still completely unacceptable and as soon as he was arrested, I had no choice but to instantly dismiss his from his job. He was a professional driver but that one incident did not demonstrate professional conduct.”

The drama unfolded around noon on Monday when the man, who was driving the 9.45am service from Waterford to Dublin, was asked to stop at the depot in Carlow by a number of concerned passengers.

Several of them noticed a smell of drink from the man, and swaying on the road, and became convinced he was drink driving.

Fifteen people, including a number of women travelling to the capital to take part in the Flora Women’s Mini-Marathon, were on the bus at the time.

At the depot in Carlow, the gardaí were called and after being breathalysed, the man was arrested.

Mr Kavanagh acknowledged it was an “extremely regrettable incident” but said it had been dealt with.

He said that the company had buses on the road for a long time and this was the only incident of this nature that had occurred. He said there was a trust between both the company and the driver, and in turn the driver and the passengers, and that had been broken.

The driver was released from custody on Monday after being charged and is due to appear before the District Court in Carlow within a fortnight.