Bus driver reversed to motorway's Junction 4
The M9's exit 4
A BUS driver for JJ Kavanagh’s bus service reversed down a motorway after he missed the exit for Castledermot, Carlow District Court heard last week.
Sasidharan Ganapathiuyil pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving at Junction 4 of the M9 motorway after one of the 28 passengers on board filmed him reversing to the junction on the hard shoulder.
The incident occurred on 26 June last year when the 50-year-old defendant was driving from Dublin to Waterford, missed the exit and reversed back.
Solicitor Joe Farrell said that his client was a professional driver who had driving licences from Singapore, Malta, India, Kuwait, Dubai and Ireland. He continued that Mr Ganapathiuyil was supporting his son, who was studying in the UK, and that he was still working for JJ Kavanagh. Mr Farrell added that Mr Ganapathiuyil, from Cnoic Caisleann, Ballygunner, Co Waterford had never been in court before and that a conviction for careless driving would carry five penalty points. He said that his client had “panicked” when he missed the junction and that he didn’t continue onto the next exit because that would have meant his passengers would be late.
Accepting the defendant’s bone fides, Judge Geraldine Carthy fined him €500, but declined from putting him off the road.
