Traffic cops on a high as drunk driving cases reduce in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Bengaluru may proudly wear the epithet, but being a city of pubs has also been a bane, which the traffic police personnel have stood witness to over the years. Kept busy with nabbing those driving under the influence, especially during the weekends, the traffic cops seem to have managed to bring about a change now. The number of cases of cancellation and suspension of driving licences (DL) for drunk driving has fallen by 72.8 per cent and 73.4 per cent, respectively, over the last two financial years. 

“Enforcement has been effective,” P Harishekaran, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, said. Another official from Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) too said an increase in enforcement has made the numbers come down. “We carry out checks for drunk driving every Friday and Saturday, and every station has 3-5 teams which include up to five traffic cops. We do not levy fines but the file a chargesheet, and the amount (which starts from Rs 2,000) depends on the court,” 
the official added. 

Another official added that other factors could also play a role for the decline, such as violators caught without a driving licence. 

“In these cases, the vehicle is seized and a case is registered,” the official explained.
According to C P Narayana Swamy, Additional Commissioner for Enforcement, Transport Department, the number of requests received by the department from the traffic police to disqualify licences under drunk driving has also come down.

V Ravichandar, urban expert, was surprised to hear the figures from the transport department. “It is impossible to attribute the stark decline in numbers to enforcement. Cops need to follow the rule in Mumbai, where those found driving drunk are jailed for one night, bringing down the numbers drastically,” he said.