Six people were killed when a bus driving on the wrong side hit their SUV on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
The deaths of six members of a family when a bus driving on the wrong side of the road rammed their SUV on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on July 11 and the death of a B Tech student on the same expressway in a similar manner on Saturday have put a spotlight on such incidents in Delhi-NCR.
A study has found that 30% of road accidents in Delhi happen because of people driving on the wrong side. A hefty fine of Rs 5,000 for the first offence and an over 50% rise in the number of challans being issued in Delhi have failed to curb the menace, which the police describe as a serious threat to road safety.
While the Delhi Traffic Police issued 1.34 lakh challans for driving on the wrong side last year, 1.28 lakh challans have been issued in just the first six months of this year. Between 1,400 and 2,000 people die in road accidents in Delhi every year and many of these deaths are a result of people driving in the wrong direction, said officials from the Delhi Traffic Police.
Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) SS Yadav said, "Driving on the wrong side is worrying from the point of view of road safety. The Delhi Traffic Police has been carrying out an integrated exercise for the past four days. On some stretches, our prosecution teams are taking strict action against violations of road discipline, including those driving on the wrong side,"
"In the past four-five days, we have taken action against 1,800 people driving on the wrong side of the road," he added.
Delhi Traffic Police officials said Gokulpuri, Shahdara, Khajuri, Dwarka, Vasant Kunj, Kalyanpuri, Kamla Market, Paharganj, Preet Vihar and Badarpur witness the highest number of cases of people driving in the wrong direction.
Mr Yadav said people driving on the wrong side endanger not just their own safety but also those of others on the road, He said this is worrying, especially from the point of view of pedestrians and children travelling to and from school.
"Compared to the last year or two, we have taken this issue much more seriously now. In the first six months of this year, we have acted against people for over 1 lakh violations. The high number is a cause of worry for us, because we believe that road discipline is essential for road safety," said Mr Yadav.
The police officer said that, under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, there is a provision of a Rs 5,000 fine for the first offence and Rs 10,000 for the second. The police also impound the vehicle if the violation is too dangerous or in case of repeat offenders.
Mr Yadav said they rely on electronic surveillance to detect offences but stressed that punishment is not the only solution. "Every driver on the road should have civic sense as a responsible citizen and a resident of Delhi. We shouldn't look at it only from a view of punishment."