The owner of a company that charters buses to groups in the St. John's area believes adults should be allowed to consume alcohol on private buses and limousines.

"Obviously it is something that goes on in the industry now and if you are of legal drinking age it is not something we have had issues with in the past," said the owner of the Party Bus, Rod Sheppard.

'A lot of peoples' livelihoods are at stake'—Rod Sheppard, Party Bus owner

Police said earlier this week that the law is clear – it is illegal to have open alcohol on any type of vehicle.

Sheppard said strict enforcement of that law would spell trouble for bus and limousine companies in St. John's.

"It would be very difficult. There is no question about that. Look, we're very popular for a reason and the reason is safety. We take people where they are going, and back from where we are going, in a safe manner with a designated driver," he said.

Last weekend, one of Sheppard's bus drivers was fined for having open alcohol bottles on his bus after police received a complaint that there were under-aged drinkers on it.

Sheppard said the under-aged drinking was an isolated incident that won't happen again because the company is now going to ask everyone who appears to be less then 25-years-old for identification.

As for the drinking issue, he said the bus company is hoping to meet with police to try to find a way to allow people to consume alcohol on party buses and in limousines.

"We've got to come to some sort of an agreement that the public and the police and us are happy so that everyone can stay in business. There are a lot of people with their livelihoods at stake here," said Sheppard.