Cyberabad Police slaps 6,099 challans on wrong side drivers in lockdown

Hyderabad: Driving on the wrong side comes naturally to Hyderabadis, it seems. As many as 6,099 challans for wrong side driving were slapped on violators in the first 10 days of lockdown (March 23 to April 3) in Cyberabad.

Though vehicles are allowed with numerous restrictions, the permitted vehicles failed to obey the traffic rules. According to the report by the Cyberabad police, a total of 6,099 cases were registered against wrong side drivers.

Of them 139 were contact cases where police caught the vehicles directly on roads and 5,960 were non-contact cases in which challans were issued to the vehicles using the camera surveillance.

Madhapur, Gachibowli, Khajaguda junction, 100 feet road, Hi-Tec City Junction, KPHB and Kukatpally are the main areas from where a high number of violations were reported.

Speaking to The Hans India, A Chandra Sekhar, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyberabad Traffic), said, "Obeying the lockdown we have shut flyovers, main roads and junctions.

We are only allowing people who had a valid reason and permitted ID cards to commute on roads. U-turns and picketing points might be the reason for the numerous wrong side driving cases. Also with the fear that police will catch their vehicles, a few people are taking wrong sides."

In order to control this menace, Chandra Sekhar said the police would shortly identify the spots where wrong side driving is rampant. "We will take action against offenders and sensitise them about the traffic rules," he assured.

Maximum violations were registered by two-wheelers and during rush hour between 8 am and 10 am and during 5 pm to 7 pm.

Driving on the wrong side of road is considered a a traffic violation under the Section 119/117 of the Motor Vehicles Act and a challan of Rs 1,100 will be imposed.