Hyderabad: Some drivers even after visiting police stations, counselling centres and having vehicles seized by the police continue to get drunk and have been nabbed during police drives. Six drunken car drivers have now lost their licenses as the RTA (Road Transport Authority) cancelled their licenses as per the recommendation of traffic cops.
The longest punishment for drunken driving has been a little over one month so far with many getting 10 to 20 days jail. During the latest drunken driving drive too a lorry driver nabbed by cops was given one-month imprisonment.
“Repeat offenders are sent to jail and even have their licenses suspended for six months before they are cancelled. We have cancelled at least six licenses in the last three to four months. All of them were car drivers,” said joint transport commiss-ioner, Hyderabad, T. Raghunath.
According to traffic cops the maximum number of repeat drunken drivers turn out to be four-wheeler drivers although two wheeler drivers stand first among drunken drivers caught for the first time. Last year alone 15,000 drunk driving cases were recorded although the number of repeat offenders is roughly 15 per cent. “In most cases drunken drivers obey rules once they are sent for counselling and pay fines. Some are sent to jail and only a handful get drunk after the six month suspension of license. Then cancelling is the only option,” the official added.
