Drink-driving checks the norm year-round for Gurgaon police

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With its eastern part neighbouring Delhi, crackdown on drink driving is a routine for Gurgaon Traffic Police. The campaigns against drink driving are not just a special feature during festivities, but a round-the-year practice. It is not to punish but to educate drivers, says Navdeep Singh Virk, Commissioner of Police, Gurgaon.

According to traffic officials, Gurgaon has seen a significant fall in drink driving cases since 2011. Though the police struggled for two years to put a mechanism in place, officials say the continuous crackdown and planned intervention has paid off, resulting in fewer accidents due to drink driving.

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In 2012, 3,566 challans were issued in Gurgaon for drink driving. The number is lower than the 5,866 issued in 2013. In 2014, 5,998 challans were issued. The number came down to 3,896 in 2015. Till March this year, 638 challans have been issued.

According to a traffic official, the Punjab and Haryana High Court order in 2014 to immediately remove liquor vends and shift them at least 1,000 metre from the national highway — so that they are not easily accessible and visible from the national highways/state highways or the service lanes running along such highways — came as a relief.

There are more than 30 liquor vends on the fringes of NH-8 within Gurgaon district. A source in the excise department said the change in excise policy as per the court order could lead to revenue loss for the state, but the order will be implemented.

Sumer Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), says, “We have been able to crackdown on drunken truck drivers on the highway majorly because of the high court order. Even though there are fringe elements along the service roads of NH8, a number of sobriety checkposts help us keep them in check.”

Officials of the traffic team, headed by DCP rank officers, conduct checks in the eastern region of Gurgaon. The areas comprise MG Road, Cyber City Road, DLF and Sushant Lok. The eastern region has a number of pubs and bars and a loyal clientele from Delhi and other parts of Gurgaon, say police sources.

Gurgaon roads, on an average, have at least 20 checkposts in place across the city, especially at the vulnerable spots. Though this system is followed through the year, the number of checkposts doubles during festivities, says Virk. “This kind of vigilance is required because a lot of people are found drinking in their cars and then driving.”

The Gurgaon Traffic team at present uses 55 alco-meters and around 20 alco-censors. A traffic officer said drink driving checks are conducted daily from 8 pm to midnight.