Taxi aggregator Uber is partnering up with Mumbai traffic police to install breathalyzers outside pubs and bars in the city to curb drunken driving.
Uber has kicked off this drive by placing the first kiosk at a nightclub, Nook, in Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. The kiosk will measure the alcohol level in a person's blood and display a green light if it is below the permissible limit, giving the person a go-ahead to drive back home. A red light, on the other hand, means that the alcohol level is above the permissible limit and the person has to take a cab home. The person can call an Uber taxi from the kiosk too. What’s more, if it is the person's first Uber ride, the taxi company pays for it.
The permissible limit for driving in India is 30 µl alcohol in 100 ml blood or 0.03%. You can use an online calculator like this one to get an idea of how the blood alcohol content (BAC) percentage is calculated and how much booze can make a person not fit to drive.
Shailesh Sawlani, GM, Uber Mumbai said in a statement, "We're excited to launch the first breathalyzer in partnership with the Mumbai traffic police. Through this campaign, we aim to build awareness against drunk driving and give people a convenient and reliable ride back home. We hope to work with the Mumbai Traffic Police to install these devices across all bars and pubs in the city."
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A report from NDTV suggests that the total number of drunken driving cases have increased in Mumbai from 16,525 in 2013 to 17,849 in 2015.
Mumbai police have taken several steps to stop people from driving after drinking. In January, during safety week, the police had announcedelectronic alco-booths. The current initiative is an iteration of the same basic idea. Last year, Mumbai police started a Twitter account that often features warnings, sometimes with a dash of humour, about the perils of drinking and driving.
Everything that makes you 'wanna fly', grounds you. #FollowTrafficRulespic.twitter.com/UYB5t5mCZ0
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) February 6, 2016
It can be your worst hangover ever. Don't Drink and Drive.
It is a criminal offence. #AlertMumbaiSafeMumbaipic.twitter.com/zvQfKtzhgV
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) December 29, 2015
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