Drink-drive blitz after cricket

Press, 25 February 1983, Page 6

Drink-drive blitz after cricket

Cricket followers who go to Lancaster Park tomorrow for the one-day international match should take a bus if they are going to be drinking, according to the Ministry of Transport. "It would be a shame to spoil a good day at the cricket by being stopped for driving with an excessive amount of alcohol." said the senior city traffic officer. Mr I. W. McLauchlan.

The Ministry of Transport is putting the’cricket'match on the same level as a rugby test as far as enforcement is concerned.

"We will, have sufficient officers on duty found the park throughout the day to ensure that we cover any possible problems." Mr

McLauchlan said. "It is going to be a long day and so we would like to think that any spectators who are drinking will get someone else to drive, or take a bus. "There is a lot of merit in taking a bus," he said.

Christchurch' Transport Board buses would provide a frequent service from Cathedral Square to Lancaster Park. Buses would leave about every 10 minutes from near the board's kiosk. A return service would run after the match.

"We will try to have as few restrictions as possible for parking near the ground, but we will have to keep some places clear," Mr

McLauchlan said. "People travelling in cars should plan to arrive early and not expect to park too close to the ground." Mr McLauchlan said that about 50 buses from other parts of the South Island were expected at the ground, which would add to the traffic problems. The buses would probably be parked in Lismore Street.

During the week-end the Ministry will run a drinkdriving blitz to coincide with the cricket match. “There will be a lot of people from outside the city in Christchurch this weekend. and so motorists will have to use extra carerlt is an appropriate time for a drink-driving blitz," Mr

McLauchlan said. The Wellington police say that 40 per cent of the spectators at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday would have been incapable of driving home after the oneday international, the Press Association reports. On top of this, another 20 per cent were estimated to have been well under the influence of liquor. Chief Superintendent S. B. McEwen, the Wellington district deputy commander, said yesterday that the police would have to commit more staff to policing oneday cricket internationals than any other sports event. More than 100 police were on duty at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday. They were

there because of the "tremendous consumption of alcohol." he said.

"It is quite out of proportion to have so many police at the one event, considering only 15.000 people were at the' match."

Police chiefs say there was only one problem at the match — liquor. Some 28 people were arrested, mainly on liquor-related charges, and many others were evicted from the ground because of their loutish behaviour.

"We probably would have put 1 per cent of the spectators out of the ground, one wav or the other." said Inspector T. A. Beatson. who headed Wednesday’s police effort.