Toronto bus driver suspended after breathalyzer test

Toronto Police pulled over a bus on Friday afternoon and suspended the driver’s licence after a passenger called 911 because of her erratic driving.

The 40-year-old driver was given a breathalyzer test and her licence was suspended.

"She wasn’t charged with a criminal offence," said Constable Tony Vella, a spokesman for Toronto Police. "A breath demand was asked of the TTC operator, and as a result, she received a 72-hour suspension notice. But she was not officially charged."

In order for drunk driving charges to be laid, a breathalyser test must indicate the suspect has a blood-alcohol level of more than 80 milligrams. A suspension can be issued if the results show a blood-alcohol level of between 50 and 80 milligrams. The driver was stopped near Dawes Road and Danforth Avenue.

The driver was also suspended from her job without pay for three days, but that suspension ends later Monday, said Kevin Carrington, a communications advisor for the Toronto Transit Commission.

"There will be an internal investigation. Nothing will proceed forward until that is concluded," Mr. Carrington said. "Whether [she] will be back on the job remains to be seen."

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 is also investigating.

The incident is the latest in a long string of public relations missteps involving the TTC. Pictures of a fare collector sleeping on the job appeared in newspapers. A video surfaced on YouTube of a driver making an unauthorized stop at a doughnut shop.

As the beleaguered TTC struggled to recover, chairman Adam Giambrone found himself at the centre of a scandal over sexual indiscretions with multiple women.

The TTC recently appointed a customer service advisory panel with hopes of cleaning up its image.