File photo of Traffic Police conducting week end vehicle drivers Drunk and Drive checking at K H road (Dabble road) in Bengaluru.
Credit: DH Photo/ S K Dinesh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru traffic police, who have ramped up their efforts to curb drunk-driving in the city, are now mulling extending checks to Thursday after observing a pattern of “weekend-like” activity on Thursdays.
M N Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), issued a memo to all traffic police divisions in the city in this regard on Wednesday.
“We are seeing nightlife starting from Thursday and we are also seeing an increase in criminal activity at night. While this is keeping drunk-driving and related accidents in mind, increased deployment and checks are also to enhance the safety of all at night,” he told DH.
He asked officers to register cases only at junctions where CCTV cameras are installed and ensure that women personnel are also involved in these weekly drives.
These drives extend to Sundays and will be conducted more frequently in specific parts of the city, said Kuldeep Kumar Jain, DCP (Traffic, East). “We can do this for a few weeks and see how this goes,” he said.
While the timing, target audience and areas will be decided on the day of the drives, police will keep an eye out for places that see a high footfall. This includes MG Road and Indiranagar in the east, Koramangala and Jayanagar in the south, Kalyan Nagar and Hebbal in the north.
Additionally, senior cops are enabling police sub-inspectors to also conduct these drives themselves. Earlier, only inspectors were allowed to test drivers for alcohol consumption.
Siri Gowri, DCP (Traffic, North), said that the sub-inspectors would be able to cover more ground and book more violators. “Earlier, traffic police on the ground couldn’t book any cases unless the inspector was there because only he was empowered to register cases. Now, SIs are also given the power to book drunk-driving cases so they can check for more violations,” she said.
The fine for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) can extend up to Rs 10,000 and/or up to six months in prison under the Motor Vehicles Act.