Visakhapatnam: For the first time in Vizag city, the traffic branch of the Vizag police has formed mobile teams to check drunk driving and illegal bike racings on the New Year’s eve. These teams armed with walkie-talkie sets and advanced breath analysers and cameras will move in various parts of the city as per the instructions from the Traffic Command Control Centre’s staff. The mobile teams will reach the specific spot within 10 to 15 minutes to nab the inebriated drivers and bike-racing gangs.
Vizag has the dubious distinction for drunken driving when compared to Vijayawada, Tirupati and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. The excise officials and police have observed that not only winebibbers but also new-boozers have been pushing the sales of the spirit on the New Year’s Eve. Saying that there will be no restrictions from the excise department in Vizag city on New Year’s Eve, superintendent of excise, Vizag, V. Sudhir, said the government has permitted retail liquor shops to be kept open till midnight on the night of December 31. Bars and other outlets which are given in-house permits are permitted to serve liquor till 1 am. Vizag city has 56 liquor shops and about 100 bar and restaurants, he added.
“Every New Year’s eve, we set up check posts at strategic places to counter drunken driving. However, it has been observed that while going to the midnight parties when people notice the police posts, they avoid that particular route on their return,” says ADCP (Traffic) K. Mahendra Patrudu. “This time we have formed mobile teams (special teams) to nab the drunken motorists and bike-racking gangs to prevent fatal and non-fatal road accidents in the city,” he added. Sources said that apart from the over 450 policemen attached to the traffic branch, men-in-uniform from law and order and crime wing branches will be on the roads on December 31 with over 50 breath analysers to take action against errant motorists.
City police chief T. Yoganand said that they have decided to take stringent action against the rash drivers and will take action against vehicles without exhaust pipe or playing loud music. “New Year’ Eve should not turn tragic for any family. Hence, we will not spare drunken drivers and bike-racers,” he added.
