Bikers increasingly on wrong lane of the law

MUMBAI: In blatant violation of rules, two-wheeler riders have been increasingly switching lanes and riding in the wrong direction to get ahead on the city’s congested roads. Motorists witnessing the trend have been documenting it on social media through photographs and videos. With a large part of the traffic police focussing on keeping vehicles moving, two-wheeler riders have been emboldened because of fewer enforcement drives.

A Twitter handle, @RoadsofMumbai, which is run by a group of citizens for discussing and reporting public transport issues, recently conducted a poll over a period of six days. Ninety six percent of the 1,011 netizens who took the poll agreed that twowheeler riders have increasingly been riding on the wrong lane to avoid traffic jams, while the police are mute spectators. Motorists responded with anecdotes from various locations in the city where they have witnessed the trend.

This happens largely on internal roads and not so much on Eastern or Western Express Highways. “The stretch of road connecting Golibar subway to Santa Cruz (east) railway station has a steady flow of bikers moving in the wrong direction. The police are either absent or silent witnesses,” said NM Shah, who posted online a video clip of bikers. Another road user, Yash Mhadgut, tweeted about bikers riding in the wrong direction on Marve Road, Malad, every morning between Atharva College and Mith Chowky to avoid traffic signals and snarl-ups. This is also observed at Gandhi Nagar, Kanjur Marg.

“The only solution to the menace is to increase enforcement," said AV Shenoy of the Mumbai Mobility Forum. "The traffic police have relegated enforcement to the CCTV cell at present. But the cell generates challans largely for speeding, helmetless riding and halting on the stop line. Signal jumping and driving in the wrong direction are extremely serious offences and could kill or maim the rider as well as other road users.”

To ensure that challans don’t remain unpaid, Shenoy suggested that the amount payable be doubled if it's not paid within 15 days of the offence.