A major tragedy was averted after the Gajuwaka Traffic Police caught a private travels bus driver allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol while ferrying 26 passengers from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada late on Saturday night.

According to Gajuwaka Traffic Police Inspector Sheikh Hussain, the bus was intercepted at Old Gajuwaka Junction during a routine drunken driving enforcement drive. An alco-meter test conducted on the driver recorded a blood alcohol level of 250 mg, far above the permissible limit of 30 mg.

Police officials said they were shocked by the unusually high alcohol level, particularly as the driver was operating a passenger bus carrying 26 people.

“We immediately took the driver into custody. As there were 26 passengers on board, we contacted the private travels management and ensured that a replacement driver was sent so the passengers could safely continue their journey,” Mr. Sheikh Hussain said.

The driver was arrested and booked under the relevant provisions of law for driving under the influence of alcohol. He will be produced before the court on Monday.