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[Representational Image]Reuters

Kolkata Police on Saturday issued a directive to all bar owners in the city to keep breath analysers ready and also a group of spare drivers who would drive drunken customers back home.

The directive was issued after a meeting with around 30 major bar, restaurant and club owners at the Lalbazar police headquarters. Owners have often asked for permission to close their shops (for serving liquor) late beyond midnight.

Additional Commissioner of Police (I) Vineet Goyal told the Press Trust of India (PTI), "In order to assist the police in preventing/ curbing the menace of drunk driving and road-safety, these establishments were directed to keep breath-analyzers in their premises and get potential drunk drivers tested before they leave the premise."

"They were asked to keep a pool of spare drivers to drive the customers, found unsuitable for driving as per permissible limits, back home," Goyal added.

Police have also asked bar-owners to take the help of cab services like Ola and Uber among others so that they can put an organised structure in place to take drunken customers back home.

"Those establishments were given 15 days time to implement the directive. Late-closing permissions may not be accorded in the event of non-compliance of the directive. The process will gradually be extended to the remaining bars, clubs and restaurants serving liquor," Goyal said.