Despite safety measures, gaps persist, raising urgent concerns about professional drivers and alcohol enforcement.

Last weekend, in the course of a Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) drink-driving spot check, a bus driver under the influence of alcohol, ferrying close to 30 passengers, was caught.

The bus, operated by county lines firm SEBE, had departed Paldiski and was not stopped until it reached Tallinn, around 50 kilometers away.

PPA officers noticed the driver smelled of alcohol even ahead of a breathalyzer test being administered.

Marek Vähi, head of the PPA's traffic supervision patrol group, said: "After the driver blew into the indicator device, it showed a positive result."

"The reading was high enough for us to initiate misdemeanor proceedings. While his intoxication level was not sufficient for criminal charges, it was still classified as a level two misdemeanor, which means his intoxication was quite significant," Vähi went on.

What makes this incident particularly alarming is that the driver had been on duty for several hours before being intercepted.

Vähi added: "The driver started work at 6:30 in the morning, but we checked him only after 10:00 a.m. If this check had been conducted in the morning, we might have been looking at different numbers," implying that the alcohol level might have been even higher.

Mart Raamat, a member of SEBE's management board, stated that the company has a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol intoxication while driving, adding the driver was dismissed.

Despite safeguards, the system is not foolproof, Raamat added.

This includes an in-bus alcohol breathalyzer which drivers must take. In this case, it might be that the sacked driver cheated the system.

"The bus driver started his route at 6 a.m., and he said the alcohol interlock initially did not allow him to start driving, but on the second attempt, it did. In actuality, we do not know for sure, as there are no cameras in the bus."

The device had been recently recalibrated, but Raamat suggested that the driver may have leaned on a friend to get around the matter.

"The simplest explanation is that a friendly individual helped him bypass the system," he said – in other words, an individual not over the limit had blown into the breathalyzer for him.

Vähi also noted that while breathalyzer locks are effective, they are not foolproof if drivers find ways to cheat the system. "This case shows why supervision is so important. Relying on tech alone is not enough," he said.

Another driver, Arkadi, explained to "Aktuaalne kaamera" how the breathalyzer works.

"We start the bus, blow into the device, and it tells us if we can work. If we turn off the bus, we must blow again."

While SEBE has had this system in place for a year now, other companies use other methods.

Long-distance bus line Lux Express does not use breathalyzers, but conducts random tests instead, while in the capital, Tallinn City Transport (TLT) does require drivers to verify sobriety through a facial recognition-linked breathalyzer.
TLT service director Tarmo Lai said: "Unfortunately, some drivers still get apprehended. But this system ensures that no driver with even minor residual intoxication ends up on the road."

Violations are serious and often result in termination. Drivers with borderline readings can take a second test after 15 minutes.

The PPA catches intoxicated bus drivers four or five times a year in its northern region alone.

The penalties for drunk driving are currently not differentiated on the type of vehicle being driven – be it a small car or a bus or truck – or whether the driver is actually employed as such.

Vähi pointed out that professional drivers carry greater responsibility and so, in his opinion, should face stricter penalties. "It is up to lawmakers to decide whether these penalties should be adjusted for professional drivers or not," he said.

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