95,000+ Traffic Violations in Four Months prompt Pune Police action; 52,000+ in October Alone
Pune, 7th November 2024: Drunk driving incidents are on the rise in Pune City, leading to serious accidents due to high-speed, intoxicated driving. Pune City Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar has issued orders for strict action against drivers under the influence. In response, nightly checkpoints have been set up throughout the city over the past four months to address this issue, with 27 locations designated by the Traffic Branch for these checks.
An officer of the Assistant Commissioner of Police rank oversees the initiative, conducting vehicle checks nightly from 11 PM to 3 AM in various parts of the city. This operation is being carried out under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Manoj Patil and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amol Zende.
DCP Traffic Amol Zende stated that drunk driving and non-compliance with traffic rules contribute significantly to accidents. “To instill discipline, nightly checkpoints are in place, and action is being taken against intoxicated drivers. Over the past four months, we have acted against 2,500 drunk drivers, and their vehicle licenses will be suspended,” he said. A proposal to suspend the licenses of the first 500 offenders has been sent to the Regional Transport Office, with additional proposals for the remaining offenders to follow soon.
Deputy RTO Swapnil Bhosale explained, “Based on traffic police recommendations, the Regional Transport Office suspends the licenses of offenders, typically for six months. Permanent revocation is possible if ordered by the court upon conviction.”
In July, actions were taken against 5,218 instances of triple riding on two-wheelers, 3,691 cases of wrong-way driving, and 658 cases of drunk driving, totalling 9,567 offences. In August, the traffic police addressed 4,855 cases of triple riding, 3,322 instances of wrong-way driving, and 430 incidents of drunk driving, resulting in 8,607 total actions.
September saw an increase, with 8,223 instances of triple riding, 16,551 cases of wrong-way driving, and 35 drunk driving offences, bringing the total to 24,809. October recorded 5,820 cases of triple riding, a significant 45,213 instances of wrong-way driving, and 1,433 incidents of drunk driving, culminating in 52,466 total actions.
Across these four months, authorities took a combined total of 95,449 actions against reckless drivers, addressing 24,116 cases of triple riding, 68,777 wrong-way driving violations, and 2,556 drunk driving incidents.
