GUNTUR: Cops are conducting special drives and awareness programmes to cut down on drunk driving in rural areas of Guntur district. In the last one month, 584 persons were booked for driving under the influence of alcohol. A local court had imposed fines on 52 of them and sentenced imprisonment of one to 13 days to 15 for violating the traffic norm. Also, the transport department has increased its crackdown on those riding without helmets and driving without putting seat belts on.
According to the available information, the department has imposed fines, amounting to `31 lakh, on 5,224 persons for riding without helmets in the last eight months. Further, `49 lakh was collected as penalties from drivers who were not wearing seat belts. The department has also been using speed guns and booked 650 cases of over-speeding of vehicles. The motorists were then issued e-challan for violating rules under the MVI Act.
Guntur Rural SP Ch Venkata Appala Naidu said, “The special drives will continue in 58 police stations of the district and the police will impose penalties as a method to curb drunk driving. Punishments given by courts will bring some change.”
Commenting on the transport department’s measures, Deputy Commissioner GC Rajaratnam urged the public to follow traffic rules to avoid accidents. “Speeding is hazardous not only to the motorist, but also to the public around. Every motorist should stay under the prescribed speed limits on highways,” he said.