The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has revised its protocol on conducting breathalyser tests for its staff, following a recent controversy involving a driver who tested positive after taking a homeopathic medicine.

The new procedure stipulates that if an employee tests positive but claims to have consumed medicine, a re-test must be done after 20 minutes. Employees who test positive on the second test as well will be removed from duty.

The change in protocol was prompted when a driver at the Kozhikode depot of the KSRTC, who was shown positive by the breathalyser, claimed that he had never touched alcohol in his life. After he was prevented from joining duty, the driver filed a complaint with Pramoj Shankar, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the KSRTC.

In response, a medical officer examined the driver in the presence of the CMD, testing the driver before and after consuming the homeopathic drug. The driver tested negative before taking the medicine and positive after ingesting it. Subsequently, the medical officer consumed the same medicine and tested positive afterwards.