Bars in Haryana’s Gurugram will be liable if their customers are caught driving drunk, according to a new police directive which invokes Section 168 of BNSS.
The notices are reportedly being sent to bars and restaurants directing them to ensure that no customer drives back home in inebriated condition.
Notices had already been sent out to establishments across the city asking them to deploy staff who will monitor the customers and arrange cabs or drivers for customers if they see them intoxicated and drinking for long, the Times of India quoted Police commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora as saying.
“Failure to comply will result in strict action against the particular facility,” the reported quoted a police official said. The order was issued by Haryana police chief OP Singh as he instructed the cops to ensure that clear warnings are displayed by all bars and restaurants warning customers of the dangers and legal consequences of riving.
Haryana Police calls out Thar drivers
The police commissioner called for stricter police vigilance around high-performance vehicles and superbikes as he specifically mentioned Thar and Bullet motorcycle. He pointed that these two are linked with unruly behaviour, saying “all rogue elements use these two”.
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“The choice of vehicles reflects the mindset. People who drive Thar perform stunts on the roads,” the report quoted him as saying.
The Gurugram Police’s move to put liability of drunk driving on bar owners comes in the backdrop of alarming spike in the number of accidents in the city which show that 345 people lost their lives and over 580 have been injured this year so far due to traffic accidents.
According to Gurugram Traffic Police, the riskiest roads include NH-48 (Delhi-Jaipur Highway), Dwarka Expressway, Sohna Road, and Golf Course Extension Road.
In another move to make roads in Gurugram safer, the traffic police and Google Maps collaborated to launch a real-time traffic alert system that will warn drivers in advance when approaching accident-prone or hazardous zones, PTI reported.
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The new digital navigation system is currently operational on 129 major roads. It will also display speed limits to encourage drivers to adhere to the prescribed speed regulations.
DCP Traffic Rajesh Kumar Mohan said the initiative aims to reduce road accidents and raise awareness about traffic rules.