Drunk driving: Licenses to be suspended in 15 days

Bengaluru: Since April this year, the city traffic police have recommended to the transport department to suspend the licences of 3,438 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol. During its latest drive on Saturday, the traffic police booked 793 cases of drunk driving after checking 10,639 vehicles at 109 junctions across the city.

The Transport Department, meanwhile, has taken up the process of suspending the licenses for drunk driving and other serious traffic offenses.

The department will complete the process of suspending the licenses in 15 days, said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B. Dayananda.

As soon as the recommendations for suspension of licences is sent by the traffic police, the transport department issues notices to the offenders, who will be asked to be present for personal hearing. The transport department will decide the period of suspension depending on the seriousness of the offence.

“The process of suspending the licence was getting delayed due to practical reasons. Many a time, the offenders cannot appear for personal hearing and the process gets delayed. We are now working on finishing the entire process within 15 days of the traffic police department sending us the list,” said an official from Transport Department.

“It’s a challenge for us, as it is an incoming and outgoing process,” said Mr Narendra L. Holkar, Joint Commissioner, Transport.

“As the rate of drunk driving offenses is more or less the same over the last two months since the process started, we see increased awareness among drivers. Many law-abiding citizens are now arranging for alternative transport options, instead of driving under the influence of alcohol,” Mr Dayananda said.