The Good Genie

ost drunken drivers and rash drivers were caught over the weekends and after 11 pm. "That's when roads are unclogged and traffic signals on the blink. Those who want to turn it into an F-1 track do so. But we've become a lot more careful," says Azeem Merchant who was caught with his friends. He had not guzzled beer but was found with a can. A stern warning from the cops, the ignominy of having to take a breathalyser test and the experience of seeing a few motorists dealt with more harshly have made him circumspect. "Not that we don't party any more. Just that one of us stays dry or we take a cab back home." Many motorists say they cut their alcohol intake if they know they'll be at the wheel, others hire drivers for the night, or opt for cabs.

The impact is felt, ironically, by the state excise department. Figures it compiled show that Mumbaikars consumed four lakh litres less in the last month than the corresponding month last year. Cab hire and private car hire companies say they have never had it so good. A 24-hour cab hire service reported a 32 per cent increase in demand in the last three months while another phone-a-cab service registered a huge 60 per cent increase in calls after 12 midnight.

Other traffic violations have also come under the scanner. Three people—a student, a sales executive and a taxi driver—had the unenviable distinction of being the first three jailed for rash and negligent driving last month. The taxi was carrying metal rods jutting out of the vehicle while the other two had changed lanes without showing appropriate signals. Motorists caught talking on the mobile have been caught and jailed for a day. Mumbai police has installed 45 of the planned 100 scanners at traffic intersections to catch errant drivers.

The two men behind the crackdown—joint commissioner (traffic) Vijay Kamble and deputy commissioner (traffic) Harish Baijal—believe they're on to a good thing. Provisions existed in the law but were not enforced, they say. "Initially, the courts were reluctant to give jail terms to offenders but our argument was that these drivers were potential hazards and had violated provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act," says Baijal. "Earlier, such offences were considered 'soft offences' and there was no fear of law; we enforced the law," adds Kamble.

How did they get Mumbaikars to respect traffic rules? Simply put, they read out the act to their force, instructed the cops on the road to enforce the law irrespective of every other concern, advised them to err on the side of caution, and to follow their instinct. "By now, we can tell from the way a car is moving if the driver's had some," says Marathe. The 2,000-strong force is stretched to its limits but the payoff has been encouraging.

As with all campaigns, this too carries limitations and the possibility that it'll fizzle out if and when the cops take the foot off the pedal. If the limitations aren't addressed, they could undermine the good work. For example, despite having over 15 lakh vehicles on its roads and lakhs of violations every year, data is not digitised, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to nab repeat offenders. Then, the crackdown has been largely limited to private vehicles and taxis, while errant best drivers—whose driving tactics would make Kimi Raikkonen see red—have escaped the stick. Also, the fact that motorists who weren't using their mobiles while driving were nabbed and put through the procedure has taken some sheen off the campaign. But Kamble and Baijal say such roadblocks are expected and they won't spare any offender, even best drivers. We know of Delhi's Bluelines, they say.

For now, Mumbai's streets are just that bit safer, particularly at nights. Fewer people use their mobiles while at the wheel. Will the good times last? Mumbaikars hope so.