Drizzle on the day following the Ganesh immersion gala proved to be the bane for bikers, who had a skidding spree on procession routes of the city.
Unsuspecting two-wheeler riders whizzing past areas such as Moazzam Jahi Market, Basheerbagh, Tank Bund and Secretariat were in for a rude shock when their bikes threw them off balance, all of a sudden.
Roads soaked in oil, grime and organic waste from the previous night proved perilous for the bikers after the rain loosened the surface, and made it soggy. Despite having been swept clean of the garbage, the roads still remained ingrained with oil from Ganesh offerings, and the waste of crushed flowers, besides the dirt carried by lakhs of feet.
“I have witnessed about 10 vehicles skidding in succession on the road. It began a while after rained, and the first victim was a working woman. Initially, I thought she was driving too fast, but five persons fell in succession within 10 minutes after her,” said Srinivas Chary, a worker at a jewellery shop in Basheerbagh.
The shopkeepers later put up barricades to control the speed, and tried their best to caution the riders. However, the skidfest continued for a while. “The situation is same on the Saifabad road and the one in front of Secretariat too. I witnessed three riders skidding within five minutes of each other while travelling from Telugu Talli crossroads up to Necklace Road rotary. No matter how slowly I had driven for the fear of tripping, my bike tyres wobbled thrice on the way,” shared Md. Ghouse, a commuter.
Those who tripped thanked their stars, as slow movement of traffic prevented any untoward incident, which otherwise could have proven fatal for them.
Traffic Police, however, remained oblivious to the skidfest. Saifabad Traffic Police Inspector Srinivas Reddy said he was not aware of such incidents, and no fatalities were reported.