Guwahati city achieves 'zero accidents' feat on 31st Dec

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Guwahati achieved the distinction of registering not even a single accident on Friday night, a development which has come after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to the public for restraint and issued instructions to the administration to take appropriate action to prevent mishaps which used to occur routinely as a result of revelry to mark New Year's Eve.

This information was shared with the media by Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Joint Commissioner of Police, Guwahati. "This achievement has been made possible by the positive response and wholehearted cooperation given by the residents of Guwahati in response to the appeal made by the Chief Minister," Mahanta said.

The police had set up checkpoints at 55 areas of the city on Friday and detected 115 cases of drunken driving, which is negligible for the occasion, he said. He further revealed that a total of 52 vehicles were seized from drunk drivers and 63 driving licences were suspended.

He said that the Traffic Police have been already carrying out a drive to ensure the wearing of helmets by two-wheeler riders and 12,164 cases were detected in December of non-compliance with this rule. Between 22nd December and 31st December last, 638 cases of drunken driving were detected in the city, he added.

He said that between January and July last year, an average amount of Rs. 1.20 crore was collected per month in the city as fines for violation of various traffic rules. Between August and December last year, an average amount of Rs. 3.40 crore per month was collected in the city for violation of traffic rules. In December alone, an amount of Rs. 4.40 crore was collected in the city by way of fines, Mahanta said.

He said that a total of 791 accidents occurred in the city in 2021, out of which 236 cases involved fatalities with the loss of 247 lives. A total of 555 non-fatal mishaps also took place during this period, which left 583 persons injured.

Stating that the drive against drunken driving would continue, Mahanta said that police personnel will visit various picnic spots and test the sobriety of drivers. Legal action will be taken against those found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol, he said.

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