Only 35 drunk drivers arrested in Mumbai on New Year’s Eve

This year, the city police force did not use breath analysers to sniff out drunk drivers because of the Covid-19 pandemic

The Mumbai traffic police have caught 35 motorists and two-wheeler riders for allegedly driving in an inebriated state on New Year’s Eve. Last year, the police had arrested 778 people for the offence.

According to Pravin Padwal, additional commissioner of police (traffic), during the nakabandi till 2am on Friday, the police had arrested 20 people on suspicion of driving while under influence of alcohol. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

According to Pravin Padwal, additional commissioner of police (traffic), during the nakabandi till 2am on Friday, the police had arrested 20 people on suspicion of driving while under influence of alcohol, and taken them to nearby government and civic hospitals for blood tests.

Till 6am on Friday the traffic police had arrested 35 revelers for the offence.

This year, the city police force did not use breath analysers to sniff out drunk drivers because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead the policemen on duty relied on their own instincts to identify them and took them directly for medical examination.

According to the traffic police, about 2,700 traffic personnel and volunteers were stationed on important arterial roads and bylanes in the city, especially in the vicinity of pubs and lounges and places where large crowds gather to usher in the New Year.