Impaired bus driver

[ZR]

An Ontario bus driver was arrested and charged with impaired driving Friday night.
The driver, who works for GO Transit, a provincial public transportation system in Southern Ontario, was arrested at the Square One GO Bus Terminal in Mississauga, Ont. after a supervisor became concerned about his behaviour and contacted police.
Officers brought the driver to a police station where he was given a blood test. The driver has been charged with driving with a blood alcohol concentration in excess of 80 milligrams.
A spokesperson from Metrolinx, the crown agency that oversees GO Transit, says that the driver has been relieved of his duties pending an internal review.
“I won’t try to hide the fact that we were shocked,” Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said Saturday. “We were very, very disappointed that this would happen and we were very concerned.”
Aikins said that the driver is a 37-year-old Toronto man who was finishing his shift when his supervisor took note of his behaviour. She said that it is still too early to determine whether he had been drinking on the job or had consumed alcohol before his shift, but promised to “get to the bottom of what actually happened.”
“This is something that we take very seriously,” Aikins said. “It is not something we have any tolerance for whatsoever… We are looking not only into this driver’s behavior in the past -- he has been with us for nine years -- but we will also look for any incidents throughout the day and whether there have been previous incidents with him.”
According to Aikins, this is the first time that a GO Transit operator has been charged with impaired driving.
The driver is expected to appear in court on April 25.

[RedSN]

Aikins said that the driver is a 37-year-old Toronto man who was finishing his shift when his supervisor took note of his behaviour. She said that it is still too early to determine whether he had been drinking on the job or had consumed alcohol before his shift, but promised to “get to the bottom of what actually happened.”
I'm not which is worse.
A. He drank while on the job
B. He was drunk his entire shift

[ZR]

With the instances of us hearing about impaired pilots, perhaps it's time for an interlock device on public transportation.

[1quikgt]

Driver out in Durham got caught after she smashed into an suv in Pickering a couple years ago. Drinking while driving the bus.

[RedSN]

The union is putting up a huge fight against random testing, let alone interlock devices.

[Ponyryd]

^That's mental, this is about public safety, imagine the damage a bus could do........that union needs to get a good hard slap in the face and realize that random testing can only be a positive. Is it that hard to be sober for work?

[92redragtop]

The union is putting up a huge fight against random testing, let alone interlock devices.

TTC union just lost the fight to block testing - will be interesting to see how GO union deals with this. You'd think it's a no-brainer for testing or interlock for any mass transit on the ground, air, or water.

[RedSN]

Is it that hard to be sober for work?
This can be said for ANY job. Let alone anybody in charge of the safety of hundreds of people.

[Clutt gt]

If you can't make it through the day with out drinking you need help.
But it should not be on your employers dime and your job should not be held for you.
I also ask this. Why is alcoholism considered a disease?
I mean I have a very addictive personality.
If I drink coffee I become addicted to caffeine very quickly. When I do something I tend to go all in and become very obsessive. Knowing this and some family background I choose not too drink on a regular bassis.
How is it a disease that your employer has to hold your job while you get help?
This goes for narcotics as well, same question.

[1quikgt]

As a driver I have no problem with random testing. Public safety should be priority one. I also have nothing to worry about as I don't have a drink till after work or on my days off and I don't do drugs.

The problem with interlock devices is the costs would be astronomical. People are already complaining about the costs of transit now. I do agree though, something needs to be done. We've had one caught in Durham and I'm sure there are others that haven't been caught yet and we pale in comparison to the size of the TTC.

[ZR]

I get you on cost to outfit all. Just can't get my head around why such a strong push back from the union.

[WTF]

did I hear it right...this guy blew 3x the limit?

at the end of his shift?

what an asshole

[Ray721]

I have no issues with alcohol or drug testing for anything work related. You are there to do you job safely and competently no matter what it is.

[1quikgt]

Only reason Union is fighting it is because some members complained and now they have to put up a fight as that's what the union dues are for. This is one of the downfalls of a union environment, protecting dumbass people.