Mumbai sets a sobering example
Effective policing has reduced cases of drink driving in the city
Adecade ago, the Mumbai Police launched a mission to curb drink driving on the city’s streets. It was a late realisation considering two big cases – one allegedly involving actor Salman Khan, who was later acquitted, and the other involving 21-year-old Alistair Pareira, for which he was convicted – had claimed eight innocent lives in a high-profile, headline-grabbing manner. Compared to other big cities in India, it was still an early wake-up call. Police pickets increased on Mumbai’s arterial roads. The breathalyser became a common policeman’s implement — almost as ubiquitous as the lathi.
The result was instantaneous. People started leaving cars and bikes at home and taking cabs and autos even to pubs that were just around the corner. It helped that Mumbai had a robust public transport system, and the habits of drinking but not driving, or not drinking when driving, started to spread for fear of retribution. Drink driving cases in Mumbai rose from 1,022 in 2006 to 12,765 in 2007, the year the campaign started. This week, the Mumbai Police released its drink driving figures for Christmas, showing they had fallen to just 31 on a night of revelry. This is an instance of anecdotes supporting police statistics. The numbers are down not because of inaction or improper recording of transgressions; they illustrate a changing mindset. Hurtling down the road in a powerful metal box demands great responsibility. The driver has a weapon in their hands, which can destroy lives if wielded callously.
In Delhi, there are police pickets, and some breathalysers are brandished occasionally. But anecdotal evidence suggests that despite the statistics (28,006 people were caught for drink driving in 2016), the deterrent is not strong enough and the execution not robust enough. The response of the police, unlike Mumbai, is not to take offenders in custody but to merely fine them. The police in Delhi and other cities must emulate the Mumbai Police’s efficiency on this front. And though it may hurt to hear this, given the rivalry between the two cities, perhaps Delhi can learn a thing or two from Mumbai.