Traffic safety drives fail to mend ways of errant drivers

Dwarka: Wrong side driving has become a commonplace in the sub-city these days. Police though claim to be taking action against errant drivers and are regularly issuing challans, there seems to be no change in the attitude of the violators.

There are many points in the city where the wrong-side driving is a routine affair. Not only cars and bikes but also heavy vehicles like school vans and DTC buses are found guilty of a traffic violation. 

Residents find it tough to go on a morning walk at signals in the area. Former joint secretary of Harsukh Apartments Sector 7, Ravi Jaitley, said most drivers violate the traffic rules with impunity. Taking wrong-side driving has become a norm with them. 

The points where wrong-side driving is rampant are the traffic signals near Dwarka Court and Palam Flyover. 

What is all the more shocking is that even school vans are not immune from the menace. “In the morning, one can see in their haste to ferry children to schools, they indulge in reckless reckless driving endangering the lives of children as well as other commuters.” 

There are places where wrong-side driving and red light jumping are very common. At the traffic signals of Sector 3, near MRV Bus Stand, KM Chowk, Vivekanand Chowk and the chowks of sectors 6, 10, 5 and 11, near DCP office such traffic violations are common. 

Sunil Sareen of Bharat Vandana Apartments, Sector 19, and vice-president of Dwarka Forum calls it an irony the defaulters have no fear of law despite periodically traffic safety drive carried out by the Traffic Police. 

“The one reason that he feels responsible for the impunity among the drivers is that heavy vehicles and big-branded cars indulging in traffic violations are generally spared or let off lightly,” he suggests. 

He pleads with the Traffic Police to at least ensure a safe passage for those commuters who opt to follow the rules.

People have observed that near liquor shops or on isolated lanes and roads vehicles with tinted glasses pass by the traffic personnel, but they don't take notice. 

A resident of Crescent  Apartments, Sector18A, Madhu Dagar, said, "The Traffic Police ignores the violations of such vehicles if they are not carrying a drive. Wrong-side driving and tinted glass vehicles should be dealt with strictly. Earlier, there were riders to chase and catch the violators. They are no longer visible in the area."