Bhayandar: Mira-Bhayandar seems to have sobered up, as drunk-driving cases on the New Year’s Eve dropped here by a whopping 73 per cent from 102 in 2018 to just 25 in 2019.
The idea of issuing directives to managements of bars, hotels, resorts and other party halls to provide drivers or make alternate transport arrangements like autos and cabs to ferry drunk patrons venturing out of their venues- worked in favour of the traffic wing of the Thane (rural) police under the guidance of SP, Dr Shivaji Rathod.
A large section of establishments engaged in the business of hospitality responded positively to the directions pertaining to decorum which apparently led to a significant drop in drunk-driving cases.
“Apart from identifying vulnerable locations and systematic crackdowns throughout the year, an advisory to establishments engaged in the business of hospitality helped us reduce drunk driving in the twin-city,” said the Senior Inspector (Traffic), Anil Pawar.
While patrol teams remained on their toes to maintain vigil, six check points at the strategic locations across the twin-city were set up with the deployment of traffic personnel who remained on-duty till 5 in the morning to detect and prosecute those taking to the wheel under the influence of alcohol, with the help of advanced breathalysers including those which could capture the image of the offender.
