More than 8,000 people riding two-wheelers or driving cars were prosecuted for traffic rule violations between Chaturthi and Navami in Kolkata and Bidhannagar, police said on Wednesday.
Among those prosecuted were many who were accused of riding without wearing a helmet, and drink and rash driving.
The police said around 4,000 motorcyclists were prosecuted for riding without a helmet in the city and Salt Lake.
In Kolkata, 3,423 motorcyclists were caught riding without a helmet. In Salt Lake, the count stood at 383.
“The use of two-wheelers has gone up manifold since the pandemic. Hence, it's not surprising that the maximum number of traffic rule violations involved two-wheeler users,” said an officer of the traffic department at Lalbazar.
Many who were stopped and prosecuted for riding without wearing a helmet cited the festive season and pleaded with the cops to not fine them, a police officer who was posted at the Rashbehari crossing on the Puja days said.
“The majority of the motorcyclists stopped for riding without a helmet cited the festival season as an excuse and pleaded with our officers to spare them the fine. We explained to them that they are as vulnerable to serious injuries during Durga Puja as on any other day if they don’t wear a helmet while riding. No one was spared from prosecution,” said an officer in south Kolkata.
After helmet-less riding came drink driving.
In Kolkata, 677 motorists were prosecuted for driving in an intoxicated state between Chaturthi and Navami.
The police said 404 motorists were prosecuted for rash and dangerous driving. The figure for Salt Lake was only 15.
A senior officer at the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said 51 people have been booked for riding a two-wheeler with more than two persons and 52 had been prosecuted for obstructing a public servant from discharging duty when they were asked to stop.
"The deployment on VIP Road and Major Arterial Road (New Town) was more this year compared with previous years. So there were fewer instances of rash and negligent driving than in previous years, resulting in only 15 prosecutions," the officer said.
However, the presence of cops on the roads did not deter many as 533 cases of signal violations were recorded in the Bidhannagar commissionerate area, the officer said.
According to the Kolkata police records, 7,389 motorists were prosecuted for violations of traffic rules and 877 for disorderly conduct between Chaturthi and Navami.
A senior police officer at Lalbazar said on Wednesday: “The festival days were by and large peaceful. There were no major incidents of crime or law and order.”
A senior officer at the city police headquarters said strict execution of traffic rules ensured “zero-fatal accidents” in the city on the Puja days.
“There were no fatal accidents in the city between Chaturthi and Navami. This was possible because of strict implementation of traffic rules and the cooperation of law-abiding people," the officer said.