Police Checkpoint Stops Drunk Taxi Driver

Among those who were stopped in a police drink drive operation in Auckland at the weekend was a heavily intoxicated taxi driver. There were three fare paying passengers in his vehicle.

The male driver was stopped at a routine police checkpoint in Karangahape Road at about 2.00am on Saturday 19 February 2011.

Members of the Traffic Alcohol Group [TAG] who were manning the checkpoint were surprised at the Excess Breath Alcohol [EBA] result which recorded 839/400. This is twice the legal limit.

The two females and one male passenger arranged alternative transport to get themselves to their final destination. The taxi driver has been charged with driving under the influence and is summonsed to appear in Court in a fortnight.

The penalty for an Excess Breath Alcohol charge is a minimum six months disqualification of license, maximum $4,500 fine, or possible three months imprisonment. The driver’s passenger service licence could also be revoked.

Police say this incident is concerning. A member of the taxi industry has blatantly ignored every law associated with drink driving as well as the taxi industry code of ethics.

This driver put his life, those of his three passengers, and others on the road, at serious risk. The public can assist police by reporting any similar instances by those who are professionally engaged in driving vehicles such as taxis or buses.

Soon after the taxi driver was stopped, a 16 year old male driver was checked at 592/150 – almost four times the legal limit. A 17 year old student recorded 296/150
Both these youths will appear in Court in a fortnight on EBA related charges.

TAG Units carried out Operation K2 on Karangahape Road over three nights. There were 6,797 vehicles stopped. The number of drivers who had been drinking and driving was 392. The number of drivers who were actually over the limit and charged was 39. Eight blood tests were taken. Four vehicles were impounded.

Police say the drink drive operation will continue in Central Auckland over the next few months. There will be checkpoints at a myriad of locations. No-one is exempt at these breath test checkpoints. It is an “anyone, anywhere, anytime, approach.”

Whatever the mode of vehicle a person is driving they will be stopped and tested.