Crackdown on festive drink-driving launched

Kathmandu / Sept. 20 : With the festive season around the corner, police have launched a crackdown on drunk drivers.

Police Commissioner AIG Jaya Bahadur Chand said cops, both in uniform and civvies equipped with breathalysers, were deployed in all transits to Kathmandu Valley, including Nagdhunga, Pharping, Jagati and Mudkhu, to catch any one driving under the influence.

“We have started conducting regular and surprise alcohol metre test on drivers, with major focus on long-route buses,” he informed. The existing law has adopted zero tolerance to alcohol for drivers.

“Drink driving not only puts your life at risk but also others. Passengers place trust in the driver who is driving the vehicle they are travelling in. Therefore, on-duty cops will arrest such drivers outright and proceed with legal action against the guilty,” AIG Chand warned, adding that drink driving was one of the causes of road accidents.

Traffic police have established passenger help desks in 12 places of the Valley and they will also do the needful to check drink driving and enforce traffic rules, besides facilitating travellers and taking action against crooked transport entrepreneurs. Traffic offences dramatically increase during the festive season.

“We have also stepped up security check on national highways to discourage public vehicles from carrying passengers beyond their capacity and overcharging passengers,” he informed.

To prevent road accidents due to exhaustion, the government has made it mandatory for long-route passenger
vehicles to maintain two drivers each.

Meanwhile, AIG Chand said Metropolitan Police Office had made special security arrangements to ensure safety of Valley residents during Dashain festival. “MPO will extend all necessary support to the metropolitan police ranges to enforce the security plan,” he informed. He said around 5,500 cops had been deployed across the Valley to maintain law and order.

The security strategy divides police’s working areas into various sub-groups such as temple security, road traffic, food and market monitoring, checking import and illicit use of fire crackers, lottery scams and trafficking of small arms, among others.