Despite the subdued celebrations in the Capital this year, a large number of drunken driving cases were reported from across the city on New Year’s Eve.
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg, as many as 844 vehicles were prosecuted for violations of various kinds in the intervening night of Monday/Tuesday. There was, however, a reduction in cases of drunken driving compared to last year. Mr. Garg said 574 drivers were caught in an inebriated state this year compared to 620 the year before.
The maximum prosecutions for drunken driving were reported from the Southern Range where 221 drunken drivers were caught. The corresponding figure for the East, Central, North and West Zone was 73, 44, 125 and 126 respectively.
“A total of 167 vehicles were impounded as nobody was there with valid driving licence to hand over the vehicle,” Mr. Garg added
Among the vehicles challaned, 294 were cars which were being driven by drunk drivers followed by 232 two-wheelers. Four Heavy Transport Vehicles and 23 Light Goods Vehicles along with 11 auto-rickshaws were also prosecuted, Mr. Garg said.
A total of 100 teams were deployed which had set up pickets in all parts of the city, especially those close to malls and hotels. The exercise which started around 9-30 p.m. on Monday night lasted till 4 a.m. The accused could face punishment ranging from fines to suspension of driving licences to even jail terms.
Meanwhile, jams were reported on the first day of the New Year on routes such as the stretch between ITO and Connaught Place, Firni Road at Najafgrah and between Peeragarhi Chowk and Mangolpuri. On some routes, signal failure led to traffic jams with the traffic police handling the traffic manually.
