Kolkata: The city has recorded a sharp rise in drink driving during the festive period, with cops reporting 47 cases on Monday and 472 cases over the past week, averaging 67 cases a day. This is much higher than last year, when around 40 cases a day were recorded during the same period. On Dashami alone, 122 cases were reported while 105-110 cases were recorded on other festival days.
Raids will take place at around 50 points across the city. Different traffic guards are also using different methods at nakas. At Moulali, police are asking riders to remove helmets and answer simple questions before deciding whether to conduct breathalyser tests. At Park Street, where many restaurants and pubs are located, random motorists are being tested. Police are also identifying accident-prone areas, especially in south, south suburban, southeast Kolkata, parts of north Kolkata, and along E M Bypass. Police expect the drink-driving numbers to stay high in the run-up to other festivals and winter. Extra police checkpoints will be set up at night ahead of Kali Puja and Diwali . These will also be used to monitor illegal firecrackers.