A staggering 749 were caught for the same offence in February .
The traffic police have now intensified their drive to target not just four-wheelers on city roads, but also those driving on highways, especially because of the recent spurt in accidents in the outskirts of the city. According to senior traffic police officials, an average 40 drivers are caught driving under the influence of alcohol every day by police teams deployed randomly all around the city during night hours. These include drivers caught on weekdays, defying the commonly held belief that drunk driving is a weekend phenomenon.
The number of those caught in a single month since the police launched the drive in February (see box) is also much higher than the average number of challans issued on a monthly basis, which is around 400-500.
The campaign this month s targeting car drivers, as statistics have revealed that our-wheeler drivers are more likely to be drunk beyond permissible limits. According to statistics compiled by he traffic police, police teams in areas on or near highways, such as Bharati Vidyapeeth, Hadapsar and Hinjewadi, have issued most chal ans since the drive started.
Sarang Awad, deputy commissioner of police (traf ic), said, “Every day , we catch offenders at randomly selected spots around the ci y. About 10-12 teams are deployed every day , including on weekdays. Interestingly , more offenders on any given day are those driving fourwheelers. As a concerted approach, we are going after offenders on the highways as atalities there are higher.“
In Pune, all offenders of he drunk driving rule of the Motor Vehicles Act lose their icence to drive for six months and the registration of their vehicles for a year.Besides, they have to personally appear in court to pay he fine or face a jail term.Those caught also have to undergo a fresh driving test at he Regional Transport Office to get back their licence.
Source : TOI
