PUNE: The traffic police registered cases against 158 people for driving in an inebriated condition across the city on the occasion of Dhulivandan on Tuesday and nabbed seven persons on the similar charge on Holi the day before.
Additional commissioner of police Sanjay Shinde said, “Action against drunk driving was taken across the 24 traffic divisions in the city to avert any accident. Revellers often consume alcohol and drive during festivals such as Holi. Such a behaviour can lead to accidents. A special drive was conducted on Tuesday during which 158 persons were nabbed for drunk driving.”
He said cases have been filed against all the violators at the Motor Vehicles Court. “The police will continue to take action against people driving after drinking alcohol. We appeal to citizens to follow rules and refrain from drunk driving to ensure safe and comfortable travel in the city,” Shinde added.
The number of such cases during this year’s festival of colours was down from 214 in 2019 ad 424 in 2018, the police said.
Traffic expert and Save Pune Traffic Movement director Harshad Abhyankar said the reduction in the number was a positive sign, but statistics alone were inadequate to say if the situation has improved.
“We cannot compare the number of cases registered during Holi each year, as we do not know if the enforcement was identical over the years. One has to find if the number of police personnel on road was same during the festival over the years,” he said.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar said, “We did not see nakabandis to nab drunk drivers on Holi, as we see the arrangement on the New Year’s Eve. Also, many people from the city know where nakabandi is and take alternative routes to evade the police. It is good that the police have nabbed 158 people for drunk driving. But the enforcement needs to be more stringent.”
He added, “Rangpanchmi is coming up and the message should go out that people will be caught for drunk driving. Spreading such information will also lead to greater deterrence.”
Additional commissioner of police Sanjay Shinde said, “Action against drunk driving was taken across the 24 traffic divisions in the city to avert any accident. Revellers often consume alcohol and drive during festivals such as Holi. Such a behaviour can lead to accidents. A special drive was conducted on Tuesday during which 158 persons were nabbed for drunk driving.”
He said cases have been filed against all the violators at the Motor Vehicles Court. “The police will continue to take action against people driving after drinking alcohol. We appeal to citizens to follow rules and refrain from drunk driving to ensure safe and comfortable travel in the city,” Shinde added.
The number of such cases during this year’s festival of colours was down from 214 in 2019 ad 424 in 2018, the police said.
Traffic expert and Save Pune Traffic Movement director Harshad Abhyankar said the reduction in the number was a positive sign, but statistics alone were inadequate to say if the situation has improved.
“We cannot compare the number of cases registered during Holi each year, as we do not know if the enforcement was identical over the years. One has to find if the number of police personnel on road was same during the festival over the years,” he said.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar said, “We did not see nakabandis to nab drunk drivers on Holi, as we see the arrangement on the New Year’s Eve. Also, many people from the city know where nakabandi is and take alternative routes to evade the police. It is good that the police have nabbed 158 people for drunk driving. But the enforcement needs to be more stringent.”
He added, “Rangpanchmi is coming up and the message should go out that people will be caught for drunk driving. Spreading such information will also lead to greater deterrence.”
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