Uber India and Pune Traffic Police join hands to promote the message of ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’

 
 Uber and Pune Traffic Police will set up “Don’t Drink and Drive’’ kiosks through barricades and a special telephonic booking facility in the city during the month of December

 Uber will offer upto 20 percent discount on trips taken between party hours starting at 10 pm to 7 am
 
Pune, December 20, 2017: Joining hands with Pune Traffic Police, Uber India has launched a “Don’t Drink and Drive” initiative in Pune to help spread awareness on drunk
driving incidents and promote road safety. Setting another example of how law enforcement authorities and industry can work in unison to tackle the menace of drunk driving, the
campaign aims to discourage people from driving under the influence of alcohol during celebrations especially in the month of December.  
 
Uber and Pune Traffic Police will set up “Don’t Drink and Drive” barricades and special telephonic booking facilities across the city during the month of December. To discourage
people from driving under the influence of alcohol, Uber will offer upto 20 percent discount on UberGO trips taken between 10 pm to 7 am all through the month of December.
 
The alarming incidence of road accidents is a matter of serious concern. With over 1.5 lakh fatalities a year, India accounts for 12.5% of global road accidents, with 55 accidents and 17 deaths occurring every hour. In 2016 alone, 68% victims in road mishaps were in the age group of 18-45 years and almost 97% of the road accidents are caused by negligent driving including drunken driving. According to the Pune Traffic Control Branch, in 2016 Pune reported 573 cases, which is the highest number of drink-driving cases on New Year’s Eve. The number of DUIs (Driving under influence) in Pune has witnessed gradual increase from the previous years.

In line with the ridesharing firm’s belief that a joint initiative with all stakeholders including law enforcement authorities plays a vital role in creating awareness, changing attitudes and shifting behaviour, the Police in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Jaipur and
now Pune have partnered with Uber with an aim to efficiently minimize the cases of drunk-driving. Commenting on the joint initiative Shailesh Sawlani, General Manager, West Region at Uber India said “Drunk-driving is a social evil that puts one’s own life at risk as well as others. As road safety has emerged as a rising concern throughout India, our partnership with the Pune Traffic Police is an effort to safeguard the city from casualties that can be avoided with the help of necessary precautions. The incidents of DUIs are usually high in the month of December and with this initiative, we wish to tackle the problem with accessible solutions.”
 
Sharing a similar sentiment, Mr Ashok Morale, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic, Pune Police) said, “The barricades provided by Uber would be very useful not only for traffic management but also to drive the message of not drinking and driving. No drunk person should be on wheel in an intoxicated state and we strongly encourage them to be with a driver.”