Penalties, warnings fail to curb wrong-side driving on city roads

Driving on the wrong side of the road has become almost quite normal in several locations in the city.

Mostly two-wheeler riders, and in some cases, autorickshaw drivers indulge in this traffic violation, causing problems for other motorists and pedestrians.

Naresh Kumar, an autorickshaw driver at Zamin Pallavaram, said he chooses to drive on the wrong side if the U-turn is at a distance.

“I do so only on service lanes, not the main road. I drive slowly and don’t trouble others. If I were to take the U-turn on the other side, I would have to drive for another kilometre, which is a waste of fuel,” he said.

One can find people riding on the wrong side even on major roads such as Anna Salai, Velachery 100 Feet Road, Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.

Chromepet resident S. David Manohar said that one could find people driving on the wrong side even on the GST Road. “Parents going to a school at Chromepet, located on the GST Road, drive on the wrong side. Some gig workers too drive on the wrong side. The police should conduct a special drive to prevent motorists from driving against the flow of traffic. It is more harmful than helmet-less driving,” he said.

Advocate Suresh Souli said the reason many motorists ride on the wrong side was that they were not aware of road safety.

“They have no idea that they might end up causing accidents. If everyone follows the rules, many accidents can be prevented. Hand-signalling while turning, overtaking the vehicle ahead properly, and driving within allowed speed limits are some of the rules that have to be inculcated in motorists. Road safety week/month celebrations have only become a sham,” he said.

The Greater Chennai Traffic Police have identified more than 230 such locations across the city. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic-South) P. Vijaya Kumar said they had identified 160 spots in the south alone, where people are prone to driving on the wrong side.

Fines imposed

“We have installed cameras on smart barricades placed at these points and issue challans based on the details captured by the cameras. A fine of ₹500 is imposed on those driving on the wrong side and if there is a repeat offence, the fine is ₹1,000. When 4,000 to 5,000 persons use a junction, around 40-50 people alone cannot go against the rules, even if they may have personal reasons,” he said.