Drive against drunken driving, 70 held

HYDERABAD: Party animals of Hyderabad are likely to not get drunk and drive on after the city traffic police decided to act tough.Police arrested 70 persons for drunk driving on Saturday, all of whom were produced before court.The violators had to pay heavy fines and had their driving licence suspended for two months while the fourth Metropolitan Magistrate issued a warning if they indulged in the offence for a second time, they could end up in jail.“We registered 70 cases across the city on Friday night, the first day of the drive against drunken driving and all were produced before the magistrate.Some were fined, others had their licences suspended,” deputy commissioner of police (Traffic), GVG Ashok Kumar told Express.Drunk drivers on four-wheelers were fined `2,000 while drivers of twowheelers were fined `1,500.According to additional commissioner of police (Traffic), CV Anand, traffic policemen divided into 10 teams were stationed at different places.On the first day, they were stationed at Rail Kalarang, Tadbun, Jubilee Hills checkpost, near Cancer Hospital and Care Hospital in Banjara Hills, Rethibowli, Bus Bhavan, Himayathnagar, Tarnaka and RTA office, Malakpet from 10 p.m to 12.30 a.m.“A total of 70 drunken drivers were arrested of which 27 were car drivers and 43 were on motorcycles.Their vehicles were detained and kept in traffic police stations concerned,” Anand said.He said about 22 drivers blood alcohol content level exceeded more than 100 mg/100ml.In the West Zone alone (areas like Begumpet, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Punjagutta) which is famous for several watering holes, traffic police registered 21 cases.In fact, CV Anand, Ashok Kumar and other officials were on the roads well past midnight cracking the whip.At many places, including the Lifestyle building at Begumpet, which has a few pubs, policemen put up barricades to stop motorists and check them for alcohol.Drunken drivers were booked under Section 185 (A) of the MV Act and produced in court on Saturday morning.Their vehicles were impounded to prevent them from risking other people's lives as well as their own.