Deputy Transport Minister Amr Shaath revealed that two years ago, a drug test was applied on the driver of the train in the Ramses Station accident and the result came back positive.
He was suspended from work for six months, and after two other tests were applied on him the results were negative and he returned to work.
During a phone call on Monday evening with the al-Hayat al-Youm program Shaath discussed with parliament members on raising the punishment of drug abuse to complete dismissal from work, and not just suspension.
“We applied the maximum punishment to the driver, but we reinstated him because we needed him. He worked at workshops which is a kind of punishment,” he said.
“We applied the law to the maximum extent, but he was not deterred,” Shaath added.
A law is needed law for the development of the railway facility, which will drain huge funds from the budget of the ministry, he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
