BENGALURU: Last year, the traffic police booked around 400 drunken driving cases in the city on New Year’s Eve. This year, many revellers are taking the pledge of not endangering themselves or others by driving their cars after they have consumed alcohol. As a result, many choose to book drivers for the night or hire cabs that will be deputed to them for the entire day.
Akshay Das (name changed), Cox Town resident, said, “I have never supported drunk driving but this year, I was forced to head out while drunk, as the cab we had booked did not arrive. However, all through the ride, I was feeling uncomfortable and I did not want to go through the same again. This year, I have a few friends visiting the city and we will be heading out. We have already booked a driver for 10 hours on December 31.”
With several options available for party-goers to reach home safe, driving drunk will not be an option for many. “We always have problems finding cabs after the party and on a day like New Year’s Eve, it is going to be impossible to find one. Hiring a driver for the day will be safer and we can travel in our own car,” said Shanti J, a resident of Jayanagar.
According to drivers who work with hiring platforms, they see a spike in bookings every year between Christmas and New Year. “Most people prefer to book an entire day and visit several places. For many, it is the hassle of driving in traffic on a day when they want to party. Many others make a conscious effort of not wanting to drive while drunk. For us, this is one of the busiest nights,” said Venkatesh, a driver for hire with a popular platform.
Others have put their faith in other taxi services as well. “Our company regularly uses the services of a radio taxi operator for commuting and I have called the same people to ferry a small group from the office that is going out for a party on New Year’s Eve. We wanted to ensure that no one is forced to drive home drunk,” said Ashish Singh, who works for an engineering firm.
Although many cab aggregators are also available to drop people home on December 31, many people say that they would not rely on them on December 31. “To begin with, the fares will be higher and in spite of this, finding a cab will be a nightmare. I would rather pay a little more and hire a private taxi which I can count on,” said Arpita K, a resident of Banaswadi.