Thane: The alertness of a traffic policeman in Kalyan in Thane led to the detection of an inebriated driver who was ferrying 26 school students to a football tournament, an official said on Saturday.

The incident took place at Subhash Chowk on Friday when the bus was on its way from Ulhasnagar in the district to Virar in neighbouring Palghar, the official said.

“Constable Suresh Patil noticed the bus was swerving despite the road being clear and the driver did not seem to be in complete control. He got the bus to stop and subjected driver Surendra Gautam to a breathalyser test, which returned positive,” Kalyan traffic police senior inspector Rajesh Shirsat said.

“If Patil had not acted quickly, the bus could have met with an accident. The driver was fined and will face further action, while the bus has been seized and its owner notified. We arranged another bus for the students to reach Virar for the football tournament,” Shirsat added. 

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