India court bans liquor shops on highways

India's top court has ordered all liquor shops to shut down along state and national highways in an attempt to reduce drink driving and road accidents.
 
The Court told the government to stop issuing new licenses and not renew the existing ones after 31st March.

Chief Justice TS Thakur, who headed the three-judge bench, ordered that all liquor advertisements be removed from the highways and shops selling alcohol located at least 500 metres away from them.

More than 146 thousand people died last year in traffic accidents in the country.
 
About five percent or six thousand 755 deaths were due to cases where the driver was either drunk or had taken drugs. 
 
SOURCE: BBC NEWS