Visakhapatnam: Senior citizens living on the beach road here have blamed the police for their inability to prevent the midnight bike racing and stunts that are happening here every Saturday.
“Racing is on for a few years. No serious effort has been made by the police to curb the menace. I wake up to the blaring sound from modified silencers and call the control room. This has become a regular effort for me,’’ said a senior resident living in an apartment close to the beach road.
Appreciating the control room for its quick response now, he said the police called him and informed about the arrest of the youths.
Another citizen, a heart patient, said he had made his windows airtight to prevent the entry of the sound. Going by the videos of the racing and the attack on the bus driver, it seemed that the police patrolling of the city has failed, he said.
ACP of East Harshita said the night patrolling was being headed by an officer of DSP rank and assisted by circle inspectors of respective police divisions.
“The beach road on July 9 was packed with police. Seeing huge posse of police, the bikers moved to RTC Complex and Swarnabharati Indoor Stadium where there was movement of people,’’ she said.
She said no more arrests were made on Tuesday and the police are making serious efforts to prevent bike racing in the city.
Meanwhile, RTA deputy commissioner Raja Ratnam said he would suspend the licences of the youths involved in the bike-racing.
“Based on the list provided by the police department, we will suspend the licences for a period of three months,’’ he said.
He said they often suspend the licences when RTA squads find people doing triple-rides or driving without licence and registration papers.
The bike racing and stunts killed a senior citizen in the past and injured a few pedestrians on the beach road.
