Hyderabad: Bikers on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) have become a menace. Cops are finding it difficult to control them because the ORR covers a vast area. Motorbikes and scooters are not allowed on the ORR. Though there are toll plazas at every interchange, bikers manage to sneak in and end up in accidents. The number of deaths reported is low, but riders are often left injured and these incidents go unreported. Cops say that increased patrolling and the imposition of fines have curbed the issue to an extent.
Three bikers have been killed in accidents on the ORR in the past two years. A.R. Srinivas, DCP (Traffic) of Cyberabad, says that it is quite common for bikers to enter the ORR. If they are spotted on the road by cops, they are told to immediately get off it. He adds that sometimes bikers sneak in, and they even drive on the wrong side of the road, thus posing a threat to themselves and others.
Mr Srinivas says that the cops are in discussions with the toll maintenance men to come up with ways to address the issue. “Police patrols are deployed round-the-clock on the ORR to prevent bikers from entering and to prevent pedestrians from attempting to cross the road. In addition to this, special drives are conducted and bikes are seized when violators are caught,” he says. Divyacharan Rao, additional DCP (Traffic) of Rachakonda, says that the problem was worse in the absence of the toll plazas; the menace has been controlled with increased patrolling and the enforcement of rules.
“Any biker caught on ORR is fined Rs 1,500 under provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act,” he says. Cops say that bikers often jump over the toll plazas to give the staff the slip. In a recent accident, in which a retired cop was killed, the biker tried to evade the staff and enter the road despite them having asked him not to. They say that many minor accidents are not reported as bikers are afraid of being penalised for entering the ORR.
