A group of people who are accused of drunken driving and are seen compelled to stand publiclyholding the awareness playcards of city traffic police in Hyderabad. Photo: By Arrangement

In Hyderabad if you drink and drive then be ready to perform community service. According to a new law the people who would be caught under drunk driving in Hyderabad, would receive a punishment of holding placards relating to road safety on the road junctions. They would also be asked to perform community service for three days. This law is different for people caught drunk while driving in Bangalore, where they will have to watch a documentary of two hours on road safety measures which need to be necessitated while driving on road.

In Hyderabad, people who drive vehicles would be more cautious about following traffic rules. If they are caught in drunk state, then they will be only spreading awareness about road safety rules on the roads. It’s not easy now to escape traffic checks by paying an amount, as three days will be tough for them, to fight embarrassment caused. The violators will be required to pay a fine of Rs. 2,000 along with it.

This will need to be done for three hours every day for three days. They can also be taken to the government hospitals where they will need to accomplish the tasks given to them by the supervisor. It doesn’t end here, as the drivers found with high alcohol content can face even a month in jail.

It has happened for the first time that the 3rd and 4th Metropolitan Magistrate Courts, Erramanzil, Hyderabad sentenced as many as 36 people to social service on Tuesday. People would consider it better to catch a cab back home, other than facing embarrassment and driving carelessly.

“People were scared all this while to drink and drive because they might land in prison. They feel that their future might get spoilt if this happens. Even if somebody went to prison nobody knew about it unlike this one. Imagine, a person from well-to-do family actually standing near junction with a placard. This is more about embarrassing them so that they would not repeat the offence again,” said a senior Hyderabad traffic police official as said to The Hindu.