Minister for Law and Environment Aleixo Sequeira has reportedly said that traffic cops need to be deployed with alcometers outside wedding halls and night clubs so that their presence instils fear in party-goers over drinking and driving, and ultimately serve the larger purpose of curbing road accidents.
This suggestion has brought the minister under the scanner of social media. After the time restriction on playing loud music at wedding receptions, with loud music not allowed beyond 10 pm, this latest step of deploying cops with alcometers outside wedding halls comes as another shocker to Goans.
What is more surprising is that the suggestion has been made by a Catholic minister who must have attended numerous wedding receptions in his lifetime and is well aware of how Goans conduct themselves after having drinks. The question that arises is, with hundreds of guests attending a wedding reception, is it possible for the traffic cops to carry out a test on the people leaving the hall? This seems highly impossible.
There could be receptions underway at several wedding halls across the State on a particular night. Can an understaffed police force be assigned such a task? It must be said that a person can get drunk even within the confines of one’s home and at private parties. Will the next step be to deploy traffic cops outside residences where a party is going on? Will it be extended to cops armed with alcometers being posted outside bars and taverns?
It must be said that Goans who attend wedding receptions drink responsibly and do not behave like the tourists who, after drinks, even cannot stand properly, let alone being able to drive a vehicle.
