72 liquor vends dot highways in MC limits

Mohit Khanna 

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 28

While various NGOs, including Arrive Safe, are making sincere efforts to bring down the incidence of fatal accidents by keeping liquor vends off highways, the powerful liquor lobby is leaving no stone unturned to ensure easy availability of alcohol on major roads.

A survey conducted by road safety expert Rahul Verma has revealed that there are nearly 72 liquor vends located on the highways, including Chandigarh Road, Ferozepur Road, National Highway- I from Dhandari to Bhattian Chowk, within the Municipal Corporation limits  to tempt the Bacchus lovers.

“We were shocked to find that there were 72 liquor vends located on the highways. Which means commuters can conveniently get a bottle of liquor while entering or leaving the city. It is worrisome considering the rising accidents in the city. It is a common observation that liquor vends on highways attract tipplers, thus encourage drunken driving. If there is no liquor vend on the highways, the probability of drunken driving will be much less,” said Rahul. 

Liquor vends near railway station and bus stand have become a nuisance for passengers, especially women. Women entering or leaving railway station during the evening are often teased by tipplers assemble around the liquor vend located just outside the station.

Rahul said nearly six  or seven liquor vends have mushroomed around railway station and three near bus stand. Janakraj Goyal, former general secretary of the Transport Welfare Association, said: “The liquor lobby has not spared even the Transport Nagar area. A number of liquor vends are located right outside Transport Nagar. Obviously, easy availability of liquor will attract truckers. One can understand the reason behind increasing accidents involving trucks.”