By Dev Bahadur Kunwar, Kathmandu, Apr. 16: The police have nabbed 21 for defying the lockdown and driving under the influence  of alcohol.

The vehicle passes of all 21 persons have also been revoked.

After the government implemented the nationwide lockdown to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, the District Administration Offices (DAOs) have been issuing  passes for the vehicles used in essential services.

But it has been found that many of the pass holders have been misusing their vehicle permit by drunk driving.

“Some people are perceiving the pass as a matter of ‘pride’ and are misusing it for their personal work and many are found driving under the influence by the ‘virtue’ of the pass,” said Bhim Prasad Dhakal, Chief of Metropolitan Traffic Police Division.

Dhakal said that the police had been punishing and seizing their pass.

On the day of New Year’s Eve, on April 12, after the flow of vehicles increased in huge number, the Traffic Police had resumed checking drrunk drive cases.

Stating that the lockdown was strictly being implemented from Thursday, Dhakal said, “We have been seizing pass of those people who get out of their houses without any urgency.”

Until now, the police have seized 1,846 passes on the charge of misusing it.

According to the division, 8,974 vehicles had been punished until now for defying the lockdown.

More than 1,000 vehicle drivers were punished today itself.

Except for the vehicles carrying food supplies, the traffic police have started questioning all the vehicle drivers and people inside it including private and government owned vehicles.

Misuse of pass is one of the major reasons behind increasing number of vehicles on road, despite the lockdown, said the police.