Drink-drive cabbie banned from job for two years

A Queenstown taxi driver busted for drink-driving while on the job has been barred from returning to the profession for two years.

Alistair Norman Bremer, 53, was convicted in the Queenstown Court yesterday for driving with a blood alcohol level of 108mg on December 17.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Ian Collin said Bremer was stopped at a checkpoint while carrying two passengers and recorded a breath alcohol level of 494mcg.

Bremer told police he had had only two drinks of bourbon and requested a blood test, Mr Collin said.

Defence lawyer Dale Lloyd said Bremer had made an "error of judgment" and was so convinced he was under the limit he told police when apprehended "you've got to be joking".

"He's driven countless numbers of intoxicated people over the years and is well aware of why people take taxis," she said.

Bremer's 30-year career had been brought to a rapid halt and he had sold his shares in Alpine Taxis and was working as a labourer, she said.

Judge Kevin Phillips said Bremer's actions had been "unbelievable" and "deplorable".

He had let down the public that depended on him to get them home safely, more so in a party town like Queenstown, Judge Philips said.

"It's difficult to understand how or why a man could consider drinking any alcohol at all when he knew he was going on shift as a taxi driver," he said.

Bremer was fined $1000, disqualified from driving for 10 months and disqualified from operating a vehicle in a transport service for two years.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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