People hail government decision to tighten punishment for drunk driving

KULOB, February 2, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- People have hailed the government decision to tighten punishment for drunk driving.

Drunk driving is the act of operating and/or driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

An official source at the Kulob traffic police department says 36 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol were reported in the city and the district of Kulob last year, which was 40 percent more than 2010.  He further added that the real number of driving under the influence of alcohol in the area is much higher than the official data shows.

Aslam Kholov, the chairman of the Kulob city court, says that the court considered 132 alcohol-related cases last year.  “In 17 cases, drivers were disqualified from driving for 12 months and three cases were remitted for further examination.  In the remaining 112 cases, fine was imposed on drunken drivers,” Kholov noted.

We will recall that Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament on February 1 endorsed amendments to the country’s administrative code providing for tightening punishment for drunk driving.  The amendments provide for punishing drunk driving by a two-year driving ban, while under the current administrative code, those who drive a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol have to pay a fee of 350 to 700 somoni or a one-year driving ban is imposed upon them.