Drunk driving now linked to passport?

Chennai, Dec. 28: Drunken driving during the new year bash this time in the city may harm the prospects of one’s getting a passport or visa as police will update such details in the Crime Records Bureau ( CRB).

To ensure safe New Year celebrations, the city police on Thursday announced implementing a series of measures in this metropolis, including adopting more stringent measures to curb drunken driving.

This time, drunken driving will not only attract cancellation of driving licence, but the said details of the person who faced such action will also be updated in the CRB, the police said.

“In the event of the details of those facing case of drunken driving being updated in the CRB, they might face difficulty in obtaining a No Objection Certificate ( NOC) for police verification ( for) passport verification, visa verification,” they said. Last year, during the new year celebrations, five persons were killed in Chennai during in different road accidents, the police recalled.

This year, a number of security measures will be implemented. About 3,500 police personnel will be on security duty even as about 100 places of religious worship were being given adequate protection, they said. Mobile surveillance teams will be deployed for crime prevention.

All Terrain Vehicles ( ATV) will man the sea shore on Marina, Santhome, Besant Nagar and Neelankarai.