PPA patrols stepped up for Jaanipäev week
Police patrols have doubled in the week commencing June 22, ahead of the Jaanipäev holiday which runs June 23-24. The numbers are roughly the same size as those at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the police say.
Raigo Trei, chief operating officer at the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) told ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" Monday that patrols would be conducted both on roads and on water bodies, as the Jaanipäev break arrives and with it hot weather across most of the country.
Regular speed cameras are being bolstered by the addition of mobile speed cameras, the PPA says, and major midsummer bonfire gatherings have been mapped.
Raigo Trei said that PPA breathalyzer teams were already in operation last weekend, ahead of the holiday week, apprehending over 100 drivers who were over the limit, out of over 15,000 tested.
Close to 500 drivers were caught speeding over the same period, the PPA officer added.
Monday, June 22 was nonetheless quieter on the streets of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, than usual, the PPA noted, with most people who were planning to head to the country for Jaanipäev already having done so, in addition to very few foreign tourists on the streets compared with previous years. This was the result of the coronavirus pandemic and its after effects.
With Jaanipäev falling on a Wednesday, it is likely the remaining two working days of the week will only see people returning to work in dribs and drabs.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte