Bengaluru: In a major enforcement drive, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) have registered thousands of cases this year against vehicles violating one-way and no-entry road rules.
The city has 354 roads designated as one-way. As of September 17, the police have registered 40,093 cases against vehicles going in the wrong direction on one-way roads, and 79,863 cases for entering no-entry zones. Violators are booked under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act and face fines of Rs 500.
MN Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), explained that "no entry" violations occur when vehicles drive against the flow of traffic, such as a Mysuru-bound vehicle moving in the Bengaluru-bound lane.
Police view these infractions as serious threats to road safety, with two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws being the primary offenders. Since traffic cameras do not capture these violations, officers physically conduct drives to catch violators.
"Even with medians, people often drive in the wrong direction to save time. Where there are no dividers, they dangerously cross into oncoming traffic, putting lives at risk,” said Kuldeep Kumar Jain, DCP (Traffic, East). He noted that motorbikes, scooters and Yulu two-wheelers account for most of the violations in the East Division.
Jain added that while Yulu riders cannot be fined under the Motor Vehicles Act, the division registers an average of 150 cases daily for wrong-way driving.
DCP Siri Gowri (Traffic, North) highlighted that a significant portion of road incidents in her jurisdiction is caused by such behaviour. “This is a major problem in the North Division, especially on smaller roads, but it’s also seen on main roads in Hebbal and Yeshwantpur,” she said.
Published 20 September 2024, 21:36 IST