https://sg.news.yahoo.com/ex-sbs-bus-captain-convicted-drinking-vodka-driving-duty-110612081.html
"He continued consuming vodka while ferrying passengers on
an SBS Transit bus even after having drunk over five hours before
the start of his shift.
As a result, former bus captain Nagibullah Raja Saleem nodded
off while at the wheel, veered into oncoming traffic and nearly
crashed into several vehicles, alarming passengers who
were on board.
The 27-year-old Singaporean was so intoxicated that his
alcohol level was assessed to be 2.4 times the legal limit more
than four hours after he finished his shift.
Nagibullah pleaded guilty on Wednesday (7 June) to one count of
driving in a rash manner, one count of drink driving, and one count
of using a mobile communication device while the bus was in
motion.
A fourth charge of leaving the bus in a
position likely to cause danger, obstruction or undue
inconvenience will be applied to be withdrawn following
Nagibullah’s sentencing.
The court heard that from 10am to 3pm on 29 June last year,
Nagibullah had consumed alcohol before driving bus service 162 at
the start of his shift at 3.30pm.
Even as he drove the bus, Nagibullah kept taking swigs from
a 330ml bottle of blackcurrant vodka, which he had placed on the
left side of the driver’s seat.
A CCTV camera within the bus captured Nagibullah drinking from
the bottle six times and driving recklessly between 4.15pm and
6.15pm, as he headed from Shenton Way bus terminal to Yio Chu
Kang bus terminal.
While making a right turn from Keppel Road into Anson Road,
Nagibullah failed to give way to oncoming traffic, resulting in a
near-collision with a car.
Around 4.28pm, Nagibullah fell asleep at the wheel twice while
the bus was still moving.
Later, he dozed off for over a minute with his head against the
steering wheel after his bus came to a stop at a red traffic light.
He remained asleep even after the traffic signal turned green and
only woke up when a male passenger approached and asked him why the
bus wasn’t moving.
While along Orchard Turn towards Orchard Boulevard at around
4.35pm, Nagibullah drove the bus into a lane meant for traffic in
the opposite direction, causing alarmed passengers to shout “Hey!
Hey! Hey!” at him.
The male passenger who spoke to Nagibullah earlier asked him if
he was in a condition to drive since he had fallen asleep.
Nagibullah indicated that he was able to do so. A female passenger
approached Nagibullah and told him that she would report him
if he did not drive carefully.
However, Nagibullah fell asleep again and failed to move off at
a green traffic signal, despite motorists horning at him. The same
female passenger again warned him that she would report him if he
were to repeat his mistake.
While driving, Nagibullah’s bus would swerve sideways and
encroach into other lanes, prompting other motorists to honk
at him.
At one point, Nagibullah missed a bus stop despite
passengers repeatedly pressing the bell. As a result, he alighted
passengers along a bend in the road.
After the bus was off-service at around 5.37pm, Nagibullah drove
it from Yio Chu Kang terminal to the Shenton Way bus terminal via
the CTE.
While on the expressway, Nagibullah stopped the bus along the
leftmost lane for some 45 seconds, forcing other vehicles to go
around it. He also failed to brake when the bus was stationary,
causing it to roll back slightly before he moved forward.
The CCTV camera also showed Nagibullah
taking both hands off the steering wheel to check his
mobile phone for 20 seconds as the bus was moving. He even picked
up a passenger in the off-service bus but let
the passenger alight a few minutes later.
After Nagibullah reached the bus terminal, he failed to
park the bus properly and went against the bus depot’s flow of
traffic.
When a timekeeping duty officer, who was informed about the
incident, went to check on Nagibullah, he found Nagibullah at the
driver’s seat with the engine still running.
The officer then asked Nagibullah to move to the passenger seat
while he took over the parking. He also saw an empty vodka bottle
in a plastic bag at the left side of the driver’s seat.
Police were informed of the incident and arrived at the bus
terminal at around 9.19pm. Staff Sergeant Sritharan Subramaniam
interviewed Nagibullah and found that his face was flushed with
bloodshot eyes, and he was slurring.
At around 11.07pm, Nagibullah was arrested and brought to the
Traffic Police Headquarters, where he took and failed a
breathalyzer test.
Nagibullah, who is represented by lawyer Richard Siaw, will
return to court on 5 July.
For rash driving, Nagibullah can be jailed up to six months
and/or fined up to $1,000. On a first conviction for drink driving,
he can be jailed up to six months or fined between $1,000 and
$5,000. For using a mobile communication device while the bus was
in motion, he can be jailed up to six months and/or fined up to
$1,000."
He was featured in "Happy to be part of your everyday" bus ad
previously..