Drunk bus driver let go by Reykjavík Excursions

Reykjavík Excursions employs about 300 drivers.

Reykjavík Excursions employs about 300 drivers. mbl.is/Ómar Óskarsson

A Reykjavik Excursions bus driver that was caught driving under the influence two weeks ago, temporarily losing his license, no longer works for the company.

“We address these matters swiftly and firmly,” says Kristján Daníelsson, Reykjavík Excursions/Kynnisferðir CEO.

According to police in the Southern Region the man was stopped due to suspicion of drunk driving on the night of August 5 th , close to Jökulsárlón. A breathalyzer test showed that he was under the influence and so he was arrested and taken to the police station were a blood sample was taken for conformation. When the results from the blood test come back, the man will be charged.

Kristján says that this is the first case of its kind during his time as CEO. About 300 drivers work for Reykjavík Excursions.

In an article in DV it is stated that the driver is a Icelander in his forties. The article also says that there have been similar events involving Reykjavík Excursions.

“According to DV’s sources it is widely known within the bus driver community at BSÍ and beyond that [Reykjavík Excursions] don’t address these matters,” the article states.

Kristján Daníelsson.

Kristján Daníelsson. mbl.is/Sigurður Bogi Sævarsson

When asked about this assertion, Kristján says that any cases that come up within the company are dealt with swiftly and firmly.

“We have had a lot of growth for the last few years and had a shortage of drivers,” Kristján says. “We need to adapt to a changed environment. We have a relatively strict a good hiring process as well as a teaching and adaptation process. But in a large company such as ours, things happen and we simply deal with them. Many of these things are of a nature that means that we can’t really deal with them until after the fact.”

According to police in the Souther Region, cases of drunk professional drivers are rare. When it happens, the driver is the responsible party, not the company he drives for. The law does not differentiate between a drunk professional driver and drunk drivers in general.

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