The streets of Delhi are witnessing a concerning trend as cases of wrong-side driving have surged by a staggering 67% compared to the previous year. Data from Delhi Police reveals a sharp increase in instances of vehicles openly disregarding the traffic norms by driving on the wrong side of the road, raising serious safety concerns for motorists and pedestrians alike.
Between January and April this year, Delhi Police registered a total of 30,062 cases of wrong-side driving, which marks a significant rise from 18,047 cases reported during the same period last year. Authorities have taken note of this alarming trend and are implementing stringent measures to curb this hazardous practice.
According to a TOI report, an official said, "This negligence not only puts the drivers themselves in danger but it also poses a threat to other vehicles and pedestrians. It leads to accidents and traffic jams." " Another officer said, "Delhi Traffic Police is taking strict action to stop this dangerous practice (wrong side driving)."
In response to this growing problem, Delhi Traffic Police has intensified its efforts to crack down on wrong-side driving. Special teams have been deployed at key intersections and roads to monitor traffic and identify offenders. Strict legal actions, including heavy fines, are being imposed on violators to deter such dangerous practices on the city's roads.
The traffic police has identified the top 10 intersections where so far this year, maximum challans have been issued for driving in the wrong direction. During this period, the maximum number of challans (for wrong-side driving) were issued in Najafgarh (1,389), followed by Sarita Vihar (1,333) and in third place Bhajanpura (1,133).
An official highlighted that many drivers cite urgency as an excuse for driving on the wrong side. By targeting specific areas with high instances of wrong-side driving, Delhi Traffic Police aims to instil a sense of responsibility among motorists and promote a culture of safe driving on the city's streets.
