Baljeet Parmar / DNA

• With cops cracking down on drunk driving, bar owners are hiring drivers, taxis to ferry tipplers home

Mumbai, Sep 11: Tipplers who can’t get behind the wheel after one drink too many could soon get help from an unlikely source — their friendly neighbourhood bar owner.

Reeling under the sustained campaign against drunken driving launched by the city traffic police, regular tipplers are a hunted lot. Not anymore though.

Aided by an enterprising set of local bar owners and hoteliers, Mumbaikars can now remain in high spirits and yet avoid being caught, thanks to a driver who’ll whisk them home.

Eager to keep their clientele, local hoteliers are employing part-time drivers to ferry intoxicated regulars home. Some bar owners in the western suburbs have even hired private taxis for their patrons.

“This way, not only do our clients get dropped home safely, but it also helps our business thrive,” said Dhananjay Shetty, a bar owner at Irla. The chauffeur service ensures that an inebriated customer doesn’t get into trouble with the law.

“Earlier some of the clients would not drink more than three pegs as they had to drive. Now, they go on to consume even six pegs, order more snacks and even have dinner. We make more money and the customer is at ease since he knows he doesn’t have to worry about his safety,” added Shetty.

Another Andheri bar owner said, “I pay just Rs100 to the part-time driver for a four-hour duty, but that is offset by the rise in sales. The drivers are also happy as the customers offer them tips,” he added.

After the traffic police started stringently enforcing the anti-drunken driving law from July, breathalysers became the bane of tipplers.

“I have stopped taking my car to parties or functions where I know I might have to drink. I think my wife will be the happiest person thanks to this ingenious plan devised by bar owners,” said Rajesh Sharma, actor and voice artiste.

Several bar owners also manage to get advance information about the time and place where the cops would be conducting checks, and warn their customers to avoid a particular route on that night.

“We are aware of the fact that sometimes information is leaked out, but that does not make much difference. We change our plans at the last minute to catch offenders,” said a senior inspector from the traffic branch.