PANAJI
Amid a shortage of breath analysers, the Goa Traffic Police has once again undertaken a special drive against drunken driving. The move comes against the backdrop of an increase in accidents resulting in fatalities and grievous injuries.
For the current year till date, the Traffic Department has booked 1236 violations of drunken driving/riding and 326 violations of
underage driving/riding.
Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Bossuet Silva, at a press conference on Thursday, said, the department has launched a special drive against drunken driving/riding and underage driving/riding in a bid to prevent Motor Vehicle accidents and fatalities on Goan roads.
"The punishment for drunken driving for the first offense is imprisonment for a term which may extend up to a period of six months or with a fine of Rs 10,000 or with both and for the second or subsequent offense with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with a fine of Rs 15,000 or with both," Silva, who addressed the media along with DySP (North Traffic) Siddhant Shirodkar said.
The officers state that the driving license of a violator is suspended for a period of three months under the Motor Vehicles Act.
For underage driving, a fine of amount of Rs 5000 is imposed on the driver/rider and an additional fine of Rs 5000 is imposed on the owner for allowing unauthorized persons to drive/ride his/her vehicle.
Silva explained that further, a report is sent to the concerned Assistant Director of Transport for cancellation of the registration of the motor vehicle used by the minor in commission of the offense who will then not be eligible to obtain Learner's Licence or Driving Licence until he/she attains age of 25 years.
Recently, the owner of an Ertiga car, Tahir Khan was arrested for allowing a minor to drive his car, resulting in killing a 40-year-old woman last week in a fatal accident at Jacinto Island Chicalim. The 17-year-old unauthorised driver has been sent to Apna Ghar and his bail is rejected.
In a major decision, the government is contemplating to not issue driving license to the juvenile for the offense while the license of car, involved in the accident, is absolutely to be suspended.
The department is meanwhile facing shortage of breath analysers and according to sources, though the proposal for additional device to check drunken driving is accepted, there's no enough funds for its procurement. The State has carried out at least six drives against drunken driving this year with limited breath analysers.
