Mumbai Police starts seizing vehicles for wrong-side driving
The incidents have also continued despite the awareness campaign started by traffic police on March 6.
Mumbai: The Mumbai police has started seizing vehicles of motorists driving on the wrong side of the road. A senior police officer said despite a warning from Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey after multiple FIRs over wrong-side driving, the menace continues unabated.
The incidents have also continued despite the awareness campaign started by traffic police on March 6. Police officers have now been instructed to seize the vehicle after registering an FIR to control the menace.
On Wednesday, 294 FIRs were registered against motorists across police stations in Mumbai for driving on the wrong side. “From Wednesday, police stations have started seizing vehicles involved in wrong side driving. We have also started requesting the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to suspend the licenses of the violators for three months,” said Raj Tilak Roushan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
Till March 31, a total of 2,649 FIRs were registered in the city against motorists for driving on the wrong side of the road.
According to police officials, on average they are registering at least 200 FIRs over the same violation.
“The numbers did not reduce even after the warning which prompted us to start seizure of the vehicles,” added Roushan.
For driving in the wrong direction, the police book the motorist under sections 279 (rash driving) and 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.
Besides, the traffic police have also started sending requests to the RTO to suspend licences of helmetless riders for three months apart from sending them the challans levying fines for driving without helmets.