Bikers zoom the wrong way on oneway lanes putting lives of other road users in danger
In a hitandrun case, two motorists were killed on the flyover on the Inner Ring Road at Sivaganga junction in the wee hours of Monday.
The deceased were identified as K. Anil Kumar (25) and R. Ram Baran (32), construction workers from Chhattisgarh.
Their attempt to cross the flyover from Thoothukudi side towards Tiruchi side on the wrong lane claimed their lives. Not just the vehicle that fatally knocked them down, but also the reason for them to take the opposite lane on the bridge is not known.
“We are still clueless about why should the workers try to ride the bike on the wrong lane at odd hours when vehicles would be zooming past,” an Inspector in Madurai City Traffic police said.
The officer reasoned that whichever lane they take would be of the same distance and there was absolutely no way that they could have taken a shortcut route to some bylane from the top of the bridge.
Two more lives were lost few months ago when bike riders took the wrong lane from Mandela Nagar junction towards Sivaganaga Road junction, recalled Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), D. Kumar.
Vehicle users, especially twowheeler riders and often autorickshaw drivers, taking “noentry” roads in the city is a common sight.
“All that they gain is saving few seconds of time or few drops of fuel by taking a shorter route. But, the quantum of risk they take is no comparison to the savings they make,” said Mr. Kumar.
It is not that they are ignorant of the impending danger. They think, they can do it successfully as they would be on the wrong lane only for a few metres, he said.
In the last four years, Madurai City Police along with other agencies and philanthropists have put up temporary and permanent structures as median on several stretches to avoid headon collisions which often lead to fatal injuries.
“But, motorists defeat this very purpose of erecting medians and choose to take “noentry” roads or wrong lanes. Not just do they put their lives in danger, but also that of those religiously adhering to lane discipline,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
“Though enforcement on violators of oneway traffic is done every day, it is not possible to prevent everyone at all places in the city at all time. This is more during nights and in the early mornings,” one of them said.
Interestingly, policemen/officers in uniform are among the regular violators. It is a common sight on Jadamunikoil RoadSouth Aavani Moola Street junction where policemen brave the oncoming traffic to enter the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic). So, is the case near K.K. Nagar Arch where oneway is the regular pathway to reach the Anna Nagar Police station for some policemen.
Even youngsters, who come out of Kalaignar Centenary Memorial Library resort to the oneway stretch of New Natham Road to reach the Race Course Road near IOC office. Usage of CCTV footages for enforcement by police will help reduce this menace.