Vexed Bermoothes

After Marine & Ports’ embarrassing ferry incident with the drunken sailor, the Public Transportation Board admits that it has problems staffing the bus network because of the high incidence of drug use:

[Public Transport Director] Mr. Simmons said a “significant portion” of applicants for driver jobs were caught out by drug screening … He said random drug testing of employees, which has just been brought in for ferry boat operators after a pilot crashed a ferry while drunk, had been routine at PTB since 1994. About five employees are tested every month and Mr. Simmons said less than a dozen were caught out each year.

That’s really quite alarming: if this is correct, 20% of public bus drivers are routinely failing the test for illegal drugs use.

It’s time for all of us to go read that new National Drug Control Master Plan.