Guwahati, Aug. 3: In a city that witnesses a minimum of 150 drink-driving related accidents a month, recorded by Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) alone, its traffic police have to make do with just six "functional" breathalysers to rein in offenders against a requirement of 19.
"Drink-driving cases have increased considerably but we just have six breathalysers against a requirement of 19. A few of them that were acquired earlier don't work anymore. At major checkpoints such as ABC point (near Christian Basti), we need at least two or three devices for smooth operation. Just one device at a point can at times cause congestion and subsequent harassment to commuters," P.J. Goswami, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Guwahati, told The Telegraph.
The six breathalysers are a part of a new set of devices where the driver of a vehicle is made to speak near the device for it to indicate whether he or she is under the influence of alcohol or not.
If so, the driver is made to blow through a straw-like object on the device to analyse whether he/she has alcohol level above the permissible limit (30mg per 100ml of blood).
Under Section 185 (a) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, any person under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving or attempting to drive a vehicle with an alcohol level exceeding 30mg per 100ml of blood (30mgbl) detected by the breathalyser, shall be punished for the first offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend upto six months or a fine up to Rs 2,000, or both.
"Offenders under Section 185 (a) can be tried by the judiciary only after we submit a non-FIR case to the court," Goswami said, adding, "The offender is made to sign on the memo that comes out of the machine indicating the violation. He/she is thereafter taken to the police station and allowed to drive home only after the level goes below 30mgbl. In some cases, they are made to call someone to drive them home."
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, admitting to the shortage of breathalysers, said he would try to meet the shortage as soon as possible. "We have taken the accident issue very seriously. Not only breathalysers, there is shortage in other fields as well. With the Centre stopping funds for police modernisation in the states, several areas have been affected. We are trying to provide whatever we can. We will try to meet the shortage but it will be difficult to give a deadline," Gogoi told The Telegraph.
Given the gravity of the situation, the traffic police along with the state transport department have intensified its campaign against drink driving since July.
At least six checkpoints were set up last Saturday for the drive, which, according to the authorities, is carried out randomly.
"Despite being a dry day, we detected 102 cases of drink driving in the city on August 1 (Saturday), with 31 cases found at Zoo-Tiniali and 28 cases at ABC point," the DCP (traffic) said.
GMCH alone attends to five to six cases of drink-driving related accidents in its emergency ward everyday, which adds up to a minimum of 150 cases a month.
"The figure goes up to 20 per day during festivals such as Holi, New Year's Eve and Bihu," GMCH superintendent Ramen Talukdar told The Telegraph.
The Kamrup (metro) district transport department has two in-built breathalysers in two speed interceptors along with eight acquired earlier. The department, for its part, undertook an awareness campaign on basic traffic rules by involving 21 driving schools in the city on Sunday.
"Seventy-two trainees of at least 12 driving schools took part in the awareness campaign at Ganeshguri on Sunday. Lessons on zebra crossing, lane driving, roundabouts and signals were part of the drive," Gautam Das, Kamrup metro district transport officer (registration and licencing), said.
