PANAJI: In a move that’s bound to send shivers down the spines of those who love to drink and drive, Goa police is likely to ask the state government to amend the Motor Vehicles Act locally to enable the force to keep violators in custody for at least seven days before being eligible for bail.
“Courts have mostly been lenient on this issue,” Director General of Police Muktesh Chander told TOI. “Imposing a fine is hardly a deterrent, and jail sentences have been sporadic. As a result, we’re unable to curb the drunken
driving menace.”
Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, mandates that driving a vehicle with more than 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, detected in a test by a breath analyser, is punishable.
“Drunken driving cases are not compoundable, so they’re always sent to court,” Chander said. “It is upto the court to issue directions for suspension of license. In many cases, the offender doesn’t even spend a single night in the jail. I want to study the provisions of law in other countries and the sentencing patterns of other states and cities. If people can be sent to jail in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Secundarabad for this kind of violation, why not in Goa?”
The fines prescribed by the MV Act, which was enacted in 1988, usually are only of a few hundred rupees. Police officials pointed out that since then, the value of the rupee has dropped and violators don’t hesitate to pay the meagre fine. An amendment to the Act which is likely to see heavier penalties is currently pending in Parliament.
“We are waiting for the amendment to come through,” Chander said. “But if it does not happen, I am thinking of requesting the state government to amend the Act locally. We may even suggest a minimum seven-day jail sentence.”
DySP (traffic), North Goa, Dharmesh Angle said that the issue of drunken driving was not as severe a decade ago as it is today. “With the influx of tourists in the state, lifestyle changes among Goans and an increasing number of vehicles in the state, the amount of people consuming alcohol and driving is on the rise,” Angle said. “Fines are now imposed as per the discretion of the court, but we want to take more stringent action so that there is some kind of deterrence.”
TOI had reported on Monday that a Goa police constable, Vishnu Naik, was caught driving a police patrol jeep under the influence of alcohol. The issue came to light after he hit a four-wheeler from behind and citizens demanded that the violator be booked. Margao town police later booked an offence against him.
Representative image 
