mid-day impact: Mumbai cops bring 1,000 Lokhandwala rash riders to a halt

Cops carry out nakabandi on Lokhandwala's back road in Andheri to nail rash drivers. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Versova and Oshiwara police's long arms finally seem to be reaching motorists breaking traffic rules on Lokhandwala's back road. In the past one month, the Versova police have registered 41 cases of two-wheeler riders without helmets and two cases of rash driving, while the Oshiwara police, who man the other end of the road, have registered 950 cases of helmet-less riding.

mid-day had highlighted on June 21 how in spite of having a newly built police chowky on the back road, which falls under the Versova jurisdiction, it (the chowky) was rarely manned.

Socks pulled up
"Now, we regularly put up nakabandis in the morning and evening," said senior inspector Kiran Kale, Versova police station. "The chowky always has one person, and we also have a beat marshal carrying out regular patrolling."

The Oshiwara police, on the other hand, who have the south end of the back road under its jurisdiction, said the 950 helmet-less riding cases they registered in the past one month were on the stretch from Mega Mall to back road.

"That is an average of 35 offences a day," said senior inspector Subhash Khanvilkar, adding, "We have started an anti-helmet action campaign since the last month." He also said the Oshiwara police station has registered an average of 90 offences daily of riders riding without a helmet.

What residents say
"Thanks to the mid-day article, the beat chowky is now manned and instills some fear in rash riders," said Lokhandwala resident Karan Jotwani. "A permanent solution, however, would be to set up a CCTV-based e-chaalaan system to nail the offenders."

"The Oshiwara police have really cracked down in the past one month, post the (mid-day) article, by having regular nakabandis, ensuring a high mast light is installed, and through proper paint rumblers," said Amarjeet Gumbar, another resident.