Click to play videoMumbai: Six-hundred lives lost to road accidents in 2006 and 400 dead in 2007 so far — it's a thought that's troubled Mumbai Police a lot in the last few months.
With road rage and drunken driving cases on the rise, the city's policemen are now cracking the whip on errant drivers in a bid to bring in some kind of order on the city's road. Aand a night in jail seems to be just what the doctor ordered.
Says DCP Traffic, Mumbai Police, Harish Baijal, "There is still rampant abuse as far as following traffic rules is concerned and many times it ends into fatalities. So, we have to stop this and hence we impressed upon the courts that this needs deterrent punishment."
And it's not just drunken and rash drivers. Those overloading vehicles with dangerous items like iron rods that jut out are also in for a tough time. In fact, road users as well as experts say a night in jail may not be enough.
Some say that the license of the erring driver should be confiscated and the driver should be asked to take driving lessons again and apply for a fresh license.
Says Executive Chairman, Western India Automobile Association, Nitin Dossa, "Many of these drivers are juveniles. Perhaps their parents should also be called in as a deterrent."
The police has been proactive so far with over 800 jail sentences handed out in 2007, and if the drivers don't learn a lesson soon, Mumbai Police's coffers as well as cells may just overflow.
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