Tour Bus Driver Arrested for Drink Driving

[Picture: Taipei City Police Department Nangang Branch]

The driver of a tour bus carrying a group of tourists from South Korea was arrested yesterday after an alcohol breath test showed a reading of (BrAC) 0.32 mg/l (a little over 0.06% BAC).

Shortly after 10:00am yesterday in Nangang District, New Taipei City, a sharp-eyed police officer on a routine patrol spotted the driver and became suspicious of his red flushed face. The officer stopped the bus and questioned the driver. During questioning, the officer detected the smell of alcohol, and asked the driver to step out for a breath test.

After finding the driver was over the legal limit, the police officer arrested the driver, named Qiu (邱), on charges of public endangerment. Police then contacted the tour company to arrange a replacement driver.

The bus was carrying 30 passengers at the time. The shocked tourists expressed dissatisfaction but also said it was fortunate that the police stopped the driver in time.

Mr Qiu, 52, told police that he had consumed one bottle of beer the night before, and thought the alcohol was out of his system by now.

In a press release issued today, police reminded the public that in July last year, a drink-driving tour bus driver set fire to his bus and crashed, killing all 26 people on board. Police also urged bus drivers to behave ethically, to not drink and drive, and to abide by the traffic rules. If tour guides or passengers suspect a driver has been drinking they should immediately inform the travel agent and have the driver replaced. They can also call the police.

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