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Keep drunk driving under check during New Year revelry: U.P. DGP
State DGP Vijaya Kumar has instructed police officials to make security arrangements and traffic curbs for New Year's Eve celebrations in Lucknow. Section 144 has been imposed in the city and police are cracking down on drunk driving. Traffic diversions and barricades will be in place, and e-rickshaws will be controlled through a sticker system.
With a view to ensuring law and order besides keeping New Year revelry under check, state director general of police (DGP) Vijaya Kumar on Saturday issued strict instructions to heads of all police commissionerate and district police to make proper security arrangements and traffic curbs on December 31 and January 1.
As per a press note shared by the DGP office, the police officials concerned have been asked to deploy police personnel and make traffic arrangements to curb revelry at the spots and the stretches identified for the purpose. The DGP also directed cops to intensify vigilance and foot patrolling as well as police vehicles patrolling in markets and crowded places.
He instructed them to put barriers to curb reckless and rash driving by youngsters as well as to keep a check on drunk driving outside clubs, lounges and hotels by using breath analysers.
Meanwhile, as the state capital gears up to celebrate the New Year’s eve, Lucknow police are keeping tabs on revellers. “With police deployed on every nook and corner of the city, Lucknow police are keeping a vigil on those who indulge in drunk driving and also taking action against them,” said joint commissioner of police (law and order) Upendra Kumar Agarwal.
On Thursday, 126 people were booked, 562 vehicles were challaned and 10 were seized during drunk driving checking in Lucknow, said police. “These checks were carried out at 132 places in the city where a total of 2,610 vehicles and 4,203 people were checked through breath analyser,” said a police press note.
“Action was taken under Section 34 of the Police Act against the people who were found to be under the influence of alcohol,” the statement said. The campaign will continue till January 1, 2024, it added. Section 144 has already been imposed in the city.
“Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibit assemblies of four or more individuals, will be in place till January 2 to maintain peace and law and order,” a press note from the Lucknow police read. “In case of violation, action will be taken” it further read.
In a statement, joint commissioner of police, law and order, Upendra Agarwal said traffic diversions will be enforced at 16 spots in the city, along with barricades in 103 spots. Mobile police teams had also been formed at every police station area, he added. Street vendors had been asked to move their stalls from the streets to enable smoother traffic flow.
“Two assistant police commissioners, six inspectors, 85 sub Inspectors, 12 female sub-inspectors, 260 chief constables, 95 female constables and five companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) are being deployed,” read the JCP’s statement.
Since e-rickshaws are not restricted by any permit system in the city, the state police will be taking necessary steps to control movement of such vehicles in Lucknow. Zones will be allotted and prescribed by a colour coded sticker system prepared by the traffic police to all e-rickshaws.
