Spirited action to rein in drunk drivers, bootleggers

Vadodara: Until some days ago, inebriated drivers whizzing past commuters and bikers racing on the roads was a common sight during nights on the city roads. But the special drive conducted by the cops that continues well past midnight seems to have had the desired effect on the habitual offenders. Police officials involved in the drive said that not many dare to drink and drive, especially in the old city areas.
The cops have cracked down on many such drivers and booked them under the Prohibition Act over last few days. “Sometimes the troublemakers consume liquor and drive on the city roads late in the night. They risk not just their lives but also that of others. During our late night drives, we have caught and booked several such drunken drivers,” said Alpesh Mahida, police sub-inspector, Navapura who is part of the late night drives near Nyay Mandir.

“After the drive began, the mischievous elements and drunken drivers have stopped moving out late in the night. They are scared of being intercepted and arrested for breaking the law. The city roads have definitely become safer during nights,” Mahida told TOI.

The cops have registered 28 cases against bootleggers in last 12 days along with 10 cases of drunken driving. The drive initiated by city police commissioner, Anupam Singh Gahlaut starts at 10.30pm and ends by 12.30am. Senior police officials choose six different points daily and deploy a team of cops at each point. These teams intercept vehicles, check registration papers, remove dark films, conduct search in suspicious vehicles and also nab drunken drivers. Gahlaut too makes it sure to visit each of these points every night and monitor the drive.

“Most of the miscreants now prefer to stay indoors. So the complaints of rash driving and midnight brawls have also come down. The Akota-Dandia Bazaar Road was notorious for high-speed biking races by some groups during nights but that too has stopped now,” said a police official posted in the old city.

“We don’t intercept vehicles that have families or those in emergency,” the official added