Dangerous! Bus Driver Caught Smoking While Driving, Bus Company Says Driver Has Been Penalized

According to this newspaper on August 28, at around 8:20 a.m. on the morning of the 26th, Mr. Wang, a passenger on Bus No. 18, discovered that the driver had actually lit up a cigarette and started smoking. Road construction on East 2nd Road had already made driving difficult, and smoking while driving was extremely unsafe. A person in charge of Bus Team No. 3 said the driver had already been penalized in accordance with regulations.

At around 8:10 a.m. on the 26th, Mr. Wang took Bus No. 18 to the gym as usual. At about 8:20 a.m., when the bus reached the “Caiyou” stop, Mr. Wang, who was seated in the front row, was shocked to see the driver suddenly pick up a cigarette, light it, and begin smoking. Because Route 18 uses an air-conditioned bus, the smell of smoke started spreading through the enclosed space. “One or two female passengers coughed after smelling the smoke, but the driver still didn’t stop and continued until he finished the cigarette,” Mr. Wang said.

“I found this very surprising. As a bus driver, he should know the no-smoking rules, and there are also no-smoking signs posted on the bus,” Mr. Wang said. At the time, the bus was traveling along East 2nd Road, where roadwork had reduced four lanes to two. Under normal conditions, drivers should already be slowing down and proceeding carefully, yet this driver was steering with one hand while smoking, only returning both hands to the wheel when putting the cigarette down.

Mr. Wang said the whole process lasted about two to three minutes. “There were passengers on board—this was far too dangerous.” In the photo provided by Mr. Wang, the reporter could see a pack of “Nanjing” brand cigarettes placed beside the driver’s console.

Mr. Wang said he regularly works out and often takes buses No. 117, 18, and 9 to the gym. “I’ve never encountered anything like this before. A bus driver smoking while operating the vehicle was just too blatant,” he said. After getting off the bus, he called the city bus company’s complaint hotline, but could not get through.

On the morning of the 26th, a reporter from the Yellow Triangle Morning Post called the city bus company’s supervision hotline several times. After the call connected, a staff member said that Route 18 belongs to Bus Team No. 3 and that, according to relevant regulations, bus drivers are prohibited from making phone calls or smoking while driving. They said they would contact the fleet to verify the matter.

On the afternoon of the 26th, a person in charge of Bus Team No. 3 said that after reviewing surveillance footage, it was confirmed that the driver had indeed smoked while driving. “We have already criticized and educated the driver, and in accordance with relevant regulations, imposed a fine of 200 yuan. This incident will also be included in his routine performance assessment.”

The person in charge added that the city bus company strictly prohibits drivers from smoking or talking on the phone while operating a vehicle. “This driver may simply be a heavy smoker and had a sudden craving.”