"Rīgas satiksme" raises the permissible blood alcohol level at which drivers will not be dismissed

Photo: скриншот видео TV3

The Bez Tabu program (TV3) obtained the internal labor regulations of "Rīgas satiksme." They state that from now on, trolleybus, tram, and bus drivers will not be automatically dismissed if their breath alcohol level is recorded at up to 0.5 promille before a shift.

The previous rules established a significantly lower permissible level. Until now, at the beginning of the workday, the alcohol content in the breath should not exceed 0.2 promille — otherwise, dismissal was threatened, reports TV3.

An employee of "Rīgas satiksme" notes that the company has relaxed the requirements for public transport drivers, increasing the permissible alcohol content from 0.2 to 0.5 promille. The reason is the shortage of drivers. "Is it really acceptable in such a responsible profession to employ people with alcohol problems?" he questions.

Both narcologist Ilze Maksima and experts from the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), whom the Bez Tabu program contacted, negatively assess this step. "The message is wrong," noted CSDD representative Oskars Irbitis.

The municipal enterprise "Rīgas satiksme" confirmed to the program that the rules have indeed been changed. They explained that each public transport driver is required to undergo an alcohol test before starting their shift. If the device detects even a slight presence of alcohol in the breath, the driver is not allowed to work.

According to the enterprise, the aim of the changes is to ensure equal treatment for all employees. Until now, for example, parking inspectors were allowed up to 0.5 promille, while public transport drivers were allowed only up to 0.2. If the level exceeded this threshold, the employee was dismissed.

The head of the legal department of "Rīgas satiksme," Jānis Gailītis, explained: if today a trolleybus driver comes with 0.4 promille, he is immediately suspended from work. If this happens again within a year (up to 0.5 promille), the employment relationship is terminated. To ensure equal treatment for both public transport drivers and other employees, such as mechanics and bus drivers, a unified approach has been established. In terms of employee dismissal, nothing has changed: if an employee is caught drinking alcohol twice within a year, even at 0.01 promille, their employment contract is terminated.

Over the past three years, 23 drivers have been dismissed from the municipal enterprise for having more than 0.2 promille of alcohol in their breath.