Police begins crackdown on traffic violators

Mumbai: Mumbai police has begun a crackdown on motorists violating provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, including those driving rashly at night. As part of the drive — started to curb the night racing menace in the city —  the police has booked over 2,500 people within a span of two weeks for various traffic offences.

In March alone, the police has sent e-challans to over 2,500 violators using speed cameras, even as a total 15,000 e-challans have been sent since January this year to motorists for riding/driving vehicles rashly under the Motor Vehicles Act.

The speed cameras have been installed at spots including Bandra reclamation, eastern freeway, eastern express highway, western express highway, Bandra bandstand and Marine Drive which are infamous for traffic violations, particularly night bike racing. Courtesy the 47 speed cameras installed at these spots, many bikers have been fined, who would have otherwise slipped away from the hands of policemen stationed at nakabandis.

Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic), said, “This drive was started to put a stop to the rash driving that takes place at night, as many riders/drivers assume the empty roads to be a race track. This crackdown will stop only after these night races are completely banished from the city.”

With several traffic offenders failing to pay fines despite sending e-challans, policemen stationed at checkpoints earlier used the tactic of stopping rash bikers with a wooden cane but after it proved ineffective, they started using motorcycles to chase down the bikers.