Got sloshed? Don't drive

Cricket is the flavour of the season. And Bangaloreans certainly don’t mind having a few pints to enhance the experience during an IPL match.

With the high-end lounges at the Chinnaswamy Stadium offering every brand of liquor, what happens to the people who have a peg too many during the match and drive back home? Are they caught for drunken driving? Are they even checked?

The Bangalore Traffic Police is blissfully unaware of this spirited side of the IPL.  Additional commissioner of police (traffic and safety) M A Saleem admitted to Metrolife that he had never thought of this aspect at all.

Saleem said that he would now start checking people returning from cricket matches for drunken driving.

To begin with, the Bangalore Traffic Police will start checking people walking out of the stadium.  Even if they are walking a good distance to the car park area, the cops are determined to check them.

“Those who are caught for drunken driving for the first time will have to appear in court, for their vehicle will be seized and they will not be allowed to drive. The same person caught for the second time will have his licence recommended for cancellation,” Saleem explains.

Saleem points out that there are 150 additional traffic police posted in and around the stadium and at the parking lots that are provided in Kanteerava Stadium, Chote Maidan in Shivajinagar, King’s Lane and the multi-storied car park in Shivajinagar Bus Stand during an IPL match.

“We are always short-staffed and it is tough for us to manage during the IPL matches but we cannot compromise on traffic and safety during that time, especially at busy traffic junctions. It is difficult to manage people walking out of the stadium after the match, and making sure that they get to their cars safely is a task in itself,” he says.

Saleem adds that this year, the parking facilities on the match days have been made better so that the commuters are not inconvenienced.

People confess they wait for the IPL season to arrive to head to the stadium.  With liquor being served at the stadium, people can’t resist having a peg or two but some of them feel that it’s better to be safe and make arrangements to be driven back home.

Shashwat Shrey, an IT professional with Cgi Systems, says, “The IPL always brings out the best in me. I go to the stadium with drums, dhols and whistles and cheer on. Yes, a drink or two is good but I think it’s better to drive home safe rather than get caught by the cops or land in an accident.”

Rohit Bansal, an employee with the TCS, confesses that he’s a die-hard cricket fan
and an ardent follower of the IPL.

“People should drink within limits and not land in trouble when returning home,” he wraps up.