Drunken drive cases on the rise in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: Cases regarding driving of vehicle or riding of bike in a drunken state are on the rise in Srikakulam Municipal Corporation limits for the past three-and-a-half years. In 2015, 818 drunken driving cases were registered at different points in and around the city and penalty was collected from them was Rs 8,55,500. 

In 2016, 641 cases were registered and Rs 6, 97, 500 was collected. In 2017, cases rose up to 1,726 and Rs 19,11,500 was collected. Current year up to June 19, 1,643 cases were registered and a penal amount of Rs 19,02,500 was collected.

In all, 4,828 cases were registered and Rs 53.67 lakhs were collected in three-a-and-half-years . “The main aim of the government in registering cases and imposing penalties is to prevent road accidents and to change the mindset of the people”, Superintendent of Police Dr CM Trivikrama Varma told The Hans India.

Though the traffic police are booking cases by conducting frequent checking drives, drivers are not changing their attitude as rising figures are proof for that, he pointed out. As part of harsh methods, the government issued strict guidelines to send those who drive vehicles in an inebriated condition to jail from January 2018. 

As part of it, traffic police registered cases against 43 persons and they were convicted for imprisonment from January 19 June this year. “We are conducting checks frequently during nights in and around the city to prevent drunken drive menace”, DSP of Srikakulam city traffic station  Ch Penta Rao told this newspaper.