Kochi | Police have booked 29 drivers of school buses and other student transport vehicles for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

The action came during a special drive conducted across four central Kerala districts under the Ernakulam Range, officials said on Monday.

The drive was carried out as part of a statewide inspection to ensure the safety of students.

The special inspection, conducted as part of 'Operation Toofan', an anti-narcotics drive, was carried out on the directions of Ernakulam Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Yathish Chandra to ensure the safety of students.

According to officials, police inspected 3,333 drivers associated with 1,231 educational institutions across Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts.

Of them, 29 drivers were found to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, and cases were registered against them under the Motor Vehicles Act, police said.

In Ernakulam Rural district, police checked 1,162 drivers attached to 373 schools and found seven of them driving under the influence of alcohol.

In Alappuzha, 634 drivers attached to 244 schools were inspected, of whom nine were found to have consumed alcohol.

In Kottayam, six of the 688 drivers inspected across 311 schools tested positive for alcohol consumption.

In Idukki, seven of the 849 drivers checked across 303 schools were found to have been driving after consuming alcohol.

Police said directions had been issued to the managements of the concerned educational institutions to initiate action to remove from service the drivers found driving under the influence of alcohol.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Yathish Chandra said violations that endangered the lives and safety of students would not be tolerated under any circumstances.

He said similar surprise inspections would continue in the coming days without prior notice.

Police directed school managements and vehicle owners to ensure that drivers possess the required qualifications, are physically fit and carry valid documents, adding that there should be no compromise on the safety of students.