The schoolbus of Gyan Niketan outside Kotwali police station after being intercepted by police on Tuesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Aug. 30: A drunk driver of an overloaded schoolbus in the state capital today endangered the lives of students and other commuters.

The bus outsourced to Gyan Niketan School on Gola Road was intercepted by police at 2.30pm at Income Tax roundabout. By then, it had hit at least three other vehicles while on its way towards the Kotwali area. The bus driver, 47-year-old Ajay, was found to be inebriated.

The incident questions the decision of several city schools that hire buses from private operators without checking upon the drivers and conductors even after strict directions from the police.

Patna city superintendent of police (central) Shivdeep Lande said: “The police received a call about a schoolbus that was moving dangerously and had hit at least three vehicles. A team from the Kotwali police station was immediately sent and the bus (BR 1C-1898) was intercepted near the Income Tax roundabout. The bus was overloaded with students, who were forced to stand, and a drunk driver. He was taken into custody and sent to Patna Medical College and Hospital for a medical test. The school authorities arranged for another driver, who went on to drop the students home.”

Police sources said the bus was a 20-seater and was carrying 40 students.

“The police spoke to the students who said they had been travelling under such crammed conditions for months. A notice asking for an explanation will be served on the school. If the reply is unsatisfactory, legal action will be initiated,” Lande said.

The school authorities accepted that the driver was drunk.

“The bus driver on this particular route — from the school to Postal Park in Kankerbagh — went on leave and the students had to be distributed among the other buses. This bus is a 28-seater but had to carry 34 students. When the bus left the school, one of the teachers realised the driver was drunk. But by then, the bus had already left the school and couldn’t be stopped,” said S.N Jha, the media in-charge of Gyan Niketan.

The school authorities said only four of the institution’s buses were owned by it.