Panaji (Goa): State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho on Monday said that their government will make it mandatory for bar and restaurant owners to arrange cabs for their 'inebriated customers' to drop them home or at their hotels in case of tourists. Speaking during the 'Road Safety Week', Godinho said that the move is part of an attempt to curb accidents due to drunk driving in the coastal state.
This is not the first time that Godinho made such an announcement. The transport minister had announced something on the same lines last year, though it was never executed in the state. However, the state police have recently intensified checks during the night and have started fining those involved in drunk driving offenses. The minister explained that if any of their customers are drunk, the bar owners should not allow them to leave in their own vehicles.
"They can take their vehicles the next day," the minister further clarified. "I am telling officers to liaise with bars and restaurants with heavy footfall, where many people go. If somebody is drunk, it is the responsibility of the bar owner to send them home by hiring a cab. Don't allow them to go driving their own car. This is a new norm in Goa for the safety of people. We will implement it very strictly," he said.