Kolkata Police registered a significant number of traffic violations during the New Year celebrations, with drink-driving cases remaining alarmingly high despite a slight dip compared to the previous year. The total number of prosecutions for drunk driving on December 31 and January 1 stood at 245, with 95 of those cases recorded specifically on New Year's Day itself.
New Year Traffic Prosecutions Surge Past Christmas Numbers
The overall enforcement action by the police was intense. The total number of traffic prosecutions on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day reached 1,961. This figure is more than two-and-a-half times the number recorded during the Christmas period. For comparison, Christmas Eve saw around 300 cases, while Christmas Day witnessed 412 prosecutions following evening checks.
While the 245 drink-driving prosecutions were among the highest tallies in the past ten months, they were lower than the approximately 315 cases reported during the same festive period last year. Police officials attributed this decline to several factors, including the chilly weather which led to fewer people, especially those on two-wheelers, venturing out onto the streets.
Hotspots Shift and Female Drivers Under Scanner
Interestingly, the central party zones like Park Street and Sarat Bose Road were not the primary locations for catching drunk drivers. Instead, most cases were recorded in areas such as Sinthee, Shyambazar, Behala, and Tiljala – described as the central, northern, and southern fringes of the city.
A notable trend observed by the police was that many intoxicated men turned to their female partners to drive, hoping to avoid detection. This led to a first-of-its-kind enforcement measure. "We asked our men on the ground to check the female riders, too. This was the first time such a large number of female riders and drivers got checked," revealed a police officer.
Two-Wheelers Emerge as Major Traffic Norm Violators
Once again, two-wheelers were identified as the biggest violators of traffic rules. On New Year's Day alone, police booked 212 individuals for riding without a helmet, 109 for rash driving, and 88 for triple riding.
The enforcement strategy was comprehensive. Checks began as early as 7 pm on New Year's Eve across the city, with special drives launched from midnight. Police also identified and monitored escape routes commonly used by motorists to evade nakas. The deployment on December 31 was described as "puja-like," with numerous checkpoints and teams equipped with breathalysers, supplemented by bike patrols.
Between December 25 and 30, police had already prosecuted a staggering 56,000 motorists, averaging 8,000 cases per evening. A major concern for the force was the combination of rash and negligent driving (speeding) along with signal violations, which together constituted about 25% of all traffic violations in the lead-up to the New Year.
To combat speeding specifically on New Year's Eve and early New Year's Day, police set up nakas in a zig-zag pattern across the city to force motorists to slow down. The stretches between Sinthee–Shyambazar–5-point crossing, EM Bypass, and Park Circus–Gariahat were highlighted as areas with maximum signal and stop-line violations in the preceding week.
