'No liquor vends on highways will decrease accidents'

The Goa Police on Monday said the Supreme Court ban on liquor vends on state and national highways will help cut down on drunken driving and consequently road accidents in the coastal state.

The stand comes in the wake of Goa government's assurance to liquor vends located within 500 metres on either side of the highways in Goa of doing "something" to save them from shutdown.

On December 15, 2016, the Supreme Court ordered the state governments to not renew the licences of liquor vends operating within 500 metres of the highways after April 1.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Rupinder Kumar told media here that the Supreme Court order will act as a deterrent to drunken driving.

"In Goa, where highways are not wide enough, if the liquor vends are taken back 500 metres from the roads as per the apex court guidelines, it may act as a deterrent for drivers to get down and walk some distance to buy liquor," Kumar said.

According to an Excise Department survey, nearly one-third of the 11,000 licensed liquor stores in the state will have to close down in the wake of the Supreme Court order.

--IANS

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