Delhi Traffic Police booked 868 for drunken driving on New Year's Eve; sharp rise over last year

New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) The Delhi Traffic Police issued 868 challans for drunken driving on New Year's Eve, registering an increase of about 56 per cent over last year, and penalised 6,407 for parking violations, according to official data.

Among the total of 11,583 challans, 868 were issued for drunken driving, registering an increase of about 56 per cent over last year, when 558 motorists were booked for the offence, the data showed.

The parking violations constituted the largest share, with 6,407 motorists penalised for obstructing traffic flow and parking vehicles in unauthorised areas.

Police said illegal parking remains a concern during festive nights, often causing congestion and delaying emergency response vehicles.

The measure was part of an intensified enforcement drive across the national capital on the night of December 31, officials said.

Violations included missing Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), riding without helmets, dangerous driving, improper parking and drunken driving, the data showed.

The overall figures on New Year's Eve mark a significant rise of nearly 157 per cent compared to last year, when police issued around 4,500 challans, according to the data.

The sharp rise underscores intensified enforcement deterring unsafe driving behaviour during the festivities, a senior officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said.

"Special enforcement teams were stationed on arterial roads, near nightlife hubs and within residential clusters to curb drunken driving, speeding, motorcycle stunts and other dangerous violations," the officer said, adding that breathalyser tests were conducted at multiple checkpoints throughout the night.

The teams were rotated across locations to prevent motorists from evading checks, police said, adding that the CCTV surveillance and real-time coordination among control rooms supported the enforcement.

The police issued another 2,763 challans for driving without a valid PUCC, 1,255 for riding without a helmet and 290 for dangerous driving, the data revealed.

The drive was carried out across all traffic ranges -- Western, Northern, Southern, Central and New Delhi -- with teams deployed at the identified spots witnessing increased footfall of New Year revellers, he said.

In addition, the Delhi Police also mobilised around 20,000 personnel, the officer said.

Special attention was paid to crowd-prone areas such as Connaught Place, Hauz Khas and Aerocity, where footfall traditionally surges on the night of December 31, he added.

Public announcements and on-ground advisories were issued throughout the night to ensure smooth vehicular movement and pedestrian safety, he said.

"No major law-and-order incident was reported during the celebrations," another senior police officer said.

The objective of the enforcement drive, police said, was not merely punitive but also preventive.

"The aim is to send a strong message against drunken driving and other risky behaviours, which continue to be major contributors to road accidents in the city," the officer said.

Last year, the Delhi Traffic Police had issued 558 challans for drunken driving on New Year's Eve, a figure that was then stated to be 34 per cent higher than the previous year.

According to official data cited earlier, 416 motorists were prosecuted for drunken driving in 2023, 318 in 2022, 25 in 2021, 19 in 2020 and 299 in 2019, reflecting fluctuating trends influenced by enforcement intensity and public movement. PTI BM SGV SHS