Bangalore:
Three months after Bangalore raised the 11 pm deadline to serve liquor till 1 am on weekends, the state government is thinking of implementing it over weekdays too.
This comes as good news to the youngsters in the city but the police department is not thrilled. In the past three months, Fridays have become a nightmare for the police as cases of drunken driving have gone up by 40 per cent.
The police department has been given 100 new SUVs for patrolling. The current patrol jeeps in Bangalore are as few as 200 in number. In contrast, Delhi and Mumbai have more than 1000 vehicles for patrolling.
"The crimes due to drunken brawls have been there. We have booked around 5 to 6 cases so far. The government has been kind and sanctioned us 100 vehicles worth 5 crore rupees but our biggest challenge is the man power. We are still managing. Managing traffic at night hours is also a big challenge. So more the manpower, more is the law and order" said R Auradhkar, Bangalore Police Commissioner to NDTV.
The trend of hiring a driver for a drop home has increased. "Some Pubs have drivers on hire after a long party. Drunken driving should not be there. Also there are many policemen who are standing right outside waiting to make a quick buck. You'd rather pay a driver and be safe. But yes, the drivers credentials should be checked first especially for women hiring them for a drop back home so late in the night." said Rohan at a party in a popular pub.
Business for pub owners has increased by 50 to 100 per cent and they are looking forward to a daily extension. Although some owners admit that the staff will be stretched at work if they are open till 1 am every day.
Siddaramaiah's one-year old government is being careful - with a short staffed police department - one bad incident and it could 'shake and stir' the setup.