Drugs, alcohol and dangerous driving: What our investigation found among bus drivers in Alpes-Maritimes

A bus driver who had transported a 16-year-old girl and dozens of her classmates appeared in a Nice criminal court after allegedly driving under the influence of cocaine. The case has become part of a series of incidents that have alarmed passengers and transport professionals in Alpes-Maritimes.

The driver, employed for just one year by a contractor working for the Régie Lignes d’Azur network, watched from the defendants’ box as Sébastien addressed him in court. “You should never have driven this bus,” the father said.

“

You should never have driven this bus.

Sébastien told the court that the transport company was not doing enough and that regular checks were insufficient. He said parents needed to trust the people they paid to transport their children safely.

The investigation says the incidents have continued despite stronger controls. Its account begins with the cocaine-related case and refers to another driver who had been tired before handing over the wheel, but the supplied article ends before providing further details.

“

I want to say that the transport company is not doing what it should. There are not enough regular checks. And I need to be able to trust people I pay to transport my children safely.