Penalties, warnings fail to curb wrong-side driving on Chennai’s roads

Driving connected the incorrect broadside of the roadworthy has go astir rather mean successful respective locations successful Chennai city.

Mostly two-wheeler riders, and successful immoderate cases, autorickshaw drivers indulge successful this postulation violation, causing problems for different motorists and pedestrians.

Naresh Kumar, an autorickshaw operator astatine Zamin Pallavaram, said helium chooses to thrust connected the incorrect broadside if the U-turn is astatine a distance.

“I bash truthful lone connected work lanes, not the main road. I thrust dilatory and don’t occupation others. If I were to instrumentality the U-turn connected the different side, I would person to thrust for different kilometre, which is simply a discarded of fuel,” helium said.

One tin find radical riding connected the incorrect broadside adjacent connected large roads specified arsenic Anna Salai, Velachery 100 Feet Road, Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.

Chromepet nonmigratory S. David Manohar said that 1 could find radical driving connected the incorrect broadside adjacent connected the GST Road. “Parents going to a schoolhouse astatine Chromepet, located connected the GST Road, thrust connected the incorrect side. Some gig workers excessively thrust connected the incorrect side. The constabulary should behaviour a peculiar thrust to forestall motorists from driving against the travel of traffic. It is much harmful than helmet-less driving,” helium said.

Advocate Suresh Souli said the crushed galore motorists thrust connected the incorrect broadside was that they were not alert of roadworthy safety.

“They person nary thought that they mightiness extremity up causing accidents. If everyone follows the rules, galore accidents tin beryllium prevented. Hand-signalling portion turning, overtaking the conveyance up properly, and driving wrong allowed velocity limits are immoderate of the rules that person to beryllium inculcated successful motorists. Road information week/month celebrations person lone go a sham,” helium said.

The Greater Chennai Traffic Police person identified much than 230 specified locations crossed the city. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic-South) P. Vijaya Kumar said they had identified 160 spots successful the southbound alone, wherever radical are prone to driving connected the incorrect side.

Fines imposed

“We person installed cameras connected astute barricades placed astatine these points and contented challans based connected the details captured by the cameras. A good of ₹500 is imposed connected those driving connected the incorrect broadside and if determination is simply a repetition offence, the good is ₹1,000. When 4,000 to 5,000 persons usage a junction, astir 40-50 radical unsocial cannot spell against the rules, adjacent if they whitethorn person idiosyncratic reasons,” helium said.