After Hyderabad, breathalysers made a must in Kolkata bars

KOLKATA: Hyderabad Police showed the way in September 2016 and Kolkata Police followed it this year.

Soon after the car crash in south Kolkata that killed modelturnedactress Sonika Singh Chauhan and left actor, Vikram Chatterjee, who was at the wheel, severely injured, Kolkata Police has instructed all pubs and nightclubs in the city to maintain breathalysers.

At a meeting with owners of 30 city- based bars and nightclubs on Saturday, the additional commissioner (I) of city police, Vineet Goyela, instructed them to maintain breath analysers.

“We have instructed bar authorities to ensure that anyone drinking beyond the permissible driving limit, is not allowed to occupy driver’s seat. They have been asked to hire a pool of drivers to drive the drunk customers back home. If the car owner concerned does not allow any driver to occupy the driver’s seat, the bar authorities will arrange a cab for the customer concerned and in the mean time, his vehicle will be custody of bar or nightclub authorities,” a Kolkata Police official present at the meeting said.

Owners have to complete the process within a fortnight. However, the police official said, that system will be applicable between 11 PM to 2 AM, and hence only bars and nightclubs with extended bar license facilities will have to comply.