Fergusson College Road plagued by rash riders

Local residents say many vehicles can be seen driving in the wrong direction; highlight absence of traffic cops on the street

The city is already gripped by a traffic problem due to Metro construction and other development works. A growing number of vehicles on the streets are adding to the problem, but this has also given a rise in the number of traffic violations. Citizens passing the Fergusson College Road are irate over the negligent and rash driving by commuters and the absence of traffic personnel.

The busy stretch has been dug up for development work which is causing frequent congestion. Over and above all this, commuters have to look out for two-wheeler riders coming in the wrong direction while also checking for pedestrians who are walking on the road as the footpath has vanished. Many have complained about the absence of traffic cops on this stretch which has already led to a loss of life of a youngster a few weeks ago.

“The entire stretch of FC Road has turned into a bottleneck due to the ongoing redevelopment and the commuters are struggling to drive safely. Despite this, a number of people can be seen driving in the wrong direction which poses a risk of accident,” said Santosh Sathe, a student and regular commuter of FC Road.

“Bikers can be seen driving in a group from Starbucks chowk towards Vaishali Hotel, which is nearly 100 metres. The road is so narrow that traffic congestion is a daily sight. We can still see two-wheelers, auto rickshaw and even cars driving in the wrong way,” said Sathe.

“Pedestrians have to walk on the road as there are no footpaths. Cops have turned a blind eye towards the issue. Illegal parking of cars and halting in the middle of the road causes even more traffic chaos,” Sathe added.

Inspector KB Balwadkar from the Deccan traffic division told Mirror, “I am aware of the traffic violations in the area and we regularly take action against such drivers. I will look into the issue and increase our drive on this stretch. Orders will be issued to monitor traffic violations on the road and take stringent action.”