New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has taken suo moto cognisance on the increasing incidents of people drinking and driving on the roads of the national capital and has issued a notice to the Delhi Police.
The Commission in its notice has said that drinking and driving is not only one of the most common causes for accidents but also poses a huge threat for women safety. This menace needs to be stopped urgently.
The Commission also raised the issue of Delhi Police stopping usage of breath analysers for identifying drunk drivers during Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to examine the steps taken by Delhi Police to counter drinking and driving on roads in Delhi, the Commission has asked an enquiry into the issue and has asked the Delhi Police to respond on certain issues.
The DCW has asked as to whether the use of breath analyser has been resumed for identifying those indulging in drinking and driving.
It has also sought to know that the reasons for not resuming the use of breath analysers for checking the menace of drunk driving.
The Commission has also asked the Delhi Police to furnish the number of functional breath analyser testing machines available with the Delhi Police.
The DCW has asked the number of challans issued by the Delhi Police for drunk driving since 2017 and especially the number of such challans issued on the night of December 31, 2022 between 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
“One of the major findings of my night vigil the other day was that the brazenness with which people in Delhi are drinking and driving is raising serious security concerns for women and girls. This needs to be checked urgently. I have issued a notice to Delhi Traffic Police to ascertain the steps they have taken to check this menace, especially after Anjali’s murder on the roads of Delhi by five drunk men,” said DCW Chief Swati Maliwal.
Considering the urgency of the matter, the Commission has asked the police to respond to its queries by January 24.
