E-Paper
Your space: Driving on wrong side of the road, not much done to make it right, say Puneites
A lot of chowks in the city have become a nightmare for commuters and residents alike due to wrong turns taken by drivers and motorists. Irresponsible, wrong-side driving has led to accidents in the city with innocent people losing their lives in extreme cases. Our readers suggest methods to curb the menace. Here is what they have to say...
I reside on Bhau Patil road and often walk in the area. I am also a regular victim of wrong-side driving. Illegal turns and wrong-side driving have become rampant and is a headache for residents and civic authorities. Puneites are merrily engaged in wrong-side driving, sometimes under the noses of traffic police personnel. Many citizens have observed that violators when questioned by the public tend to get belligerent and, sometimes, even physically violent. If you question someone driving on the wrong side, they yell at you. They don’t want to change their ways. Every morning, when there aren’t as many police personnel on the streets, wrong-side driving is rampant. Parents dropping their kids at school also indulge in wrong-side driving, not worrying about the children sitting pillion and putting the lives of others at risk. There are a lot of eateries on this road near the IT Park and customers approach on the wrong side and park haphazardly. One way to tackle the problem is to have stringent drives, seizing the licence of violators and even imposing jail terms. The other way is to put barricades and block the spot. I also feel that police staff crunch also affects the drive. The police can outsource it to a trained agency, like they have done with parking collections.
Meena Kalyan
Need strict rules
Driving on the wrong side of the road is a Punekar speciality. Even though the traffic police claim they are booking offenders on a war footing, the number of violators is only increasing. Most road accidents are caused by people driving into oncoming traffic. Cases of wrong-side driving occur in areas where dividers have been constructed without providing a U-turn. Bunching up of traffic due to long duration of traffic lights or unmarked loops on a flyover are also usual points prone to wrong-side driving. Firstly, the Pune police must identify such spots in the city. They must deploy more forces to fine violators. However, it is seen that most offenders get away with paying challan and commit the same violation again. Hence, we need strict actions like increasing fine and even a jail term for violators who are putting the lives of others in danger.
Mukund Kirdat
Self-discipline is best policy
In the recent past, tremendous proactive steps have been taken by the Pune police on traffic management. They have been spreading awareness through various modes. If the police department is taking efforts, I feel that it is the duty of residents to obey traffic rules. The rules are for our benefit and safety, hence, self-discipline is the best policy. Follow traffic rules not because you fear the police, but for your own safety.
Jayesh Kasat
Zero tolerance approach needed
Motorists ride into the incoming traffic to save time. While the Pimpri-Chinchwad police have started registering criminal cases against offenders, the Pune police should also follow the same policy to curb the menace. Wrong-side driving is not only dangerous to others, but also leads to traffic congestion. The failure to check wrong-side driving is an issue of will and capacity — police departments must demonstrate the will and take a zero tolerance approach; a few successful prosecutions will send out a strong message.
Shalini Sharma
Push for technology upgrade to curb the menace
The police does not have the manpower for sustained round-the-clock surveillance. It is thus imperative that the police invest in electronic enforcement measures, such as CCTV cameras. Cameras catch many more violations than the human eye; it cannot be bribed and does not go home at night. Though there are CCTV cameras in the city, most of them are not functioning.
Johnson Varghese
Tyre killers to flatten out wrong-side driving
Tyre killers are essentially a metal strip that acts as a speed breaker for the person driving on the right side. However, it has spikes on the opposite side, meaning if anyone tries to drive or ride their vehicle from the wrong side, it will burst the tyre. The Pune police must install these tyre killers at various spots. Another way to curb the menace is to seize the driving licence and vehicle of the violator. The police should ask them to pay fine and then collect the vehicle.
Reshu Aggarwaal
Casual attitude of violators is a major problem
The problem is not only wrong-side driving, but also the ‘chalta hain’ or the casual mindset of people. Violators do not realise that a minor misjudgement can cause a major accident, putting lives at stake. The Pune police are doing its job, but in order to set a precedent for everyone in the city, riders and motorists must change one’s attitude and become law-abiding residents.
Roshan Shetty
Blame it on poor awareness, bad road design
There are increasing cases of drivers breaking lane discipline in the city. Lack of awareness regarding traffic and safety rules is the root cause of wrong-side driving. Bad road designs also lead to motorists use the wrong lane. With metro work going on in the city, and construction of flyovers, many take the easy way out. The roads should have more options for turning, and people should be allowed to turn when there is a clogged corridor. Doing street audits and making use of traffic furniture to ensure smooth flow is where we should begin. Increasing awareness within small communities and asking citizens to help out with traffic management can also bring change.
Kedar Anil Mane
Treat it as a serious crime
Unfortunately most of the offenders are school, college going youth and educated office-goers who brazenly drive on the wrong side. Many innocent citizens, for no fault of theirs, have met with serious and fatal accidents while trying to avoid these ghost drivers. While the reasons for such rashness are many, the society needs to be made aware of the more serious side of these tendencies. Studies have pointed out that if not curbed, such behaviour can develop into psychological problems with habitual offenders ending up with personality disorders. The increase in wrong-side driving signifies that the present provisions are ineffective in curbing it. A more compelling and uncompromising approach is required from the authorities to control reckless driving. The need is for zero tolerance for wrong-side driving. It must be treated as a serious crime and the offenders prosecuted for wilful intent to endanger human lives and not just for rash driving. Apart from heavy fines and imprisonment, the punishments must divest them of rights like driving and some other privileges enjoyed from the state. In addition to strict policing, road transport office and traffic department need to undertake sustained drives in educational institutes, companies – especially IT for educating and creating awareness about the dangers of such driving.
Dhairyashil Vandekar
Strict procedure for issuing licence
At the onset, the issuing of driving licence itself should be made a strict procedure. Steps should be taken to ensure people pay an agent and get away by getting a licence. Also, police should be imposing a heavy fine which itself should be a cause of fear for people not to drive on the wrong side. A fine of Rs 1,000- Rs 2,000 is not going to stop people from doing things which could be life-threatening. The CCTV on roads should be monitored so that people driving on the wrong side could be sent a fine invoice.
Piyali Guha
