Wrong-side driving persists on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway

Bengaluru: Days after a video of a motorist driving in the wrong direction on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway emerged, police officials have taken cognizance of such instances and assured strict action.

The video, which was recorded at 7.21 am on April 21, was posted by @bidadi_rohith on his X account later that evening. It showed the car Rohith was in was travelling at about 95 kmph, before the driver slammed the brakes and slowed down to about half the speed within five seconds to avoid colliding with a red SUV that was coming in the opposite direction directly in front of Rohith’s car on the far right lane. Rohith called it a “narrow miss”.

Alok Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Traffic and Road Safety, Karnataka, responded to the post and assured strict action. 

He told DH that the police have identified the car driver and filed a case against him under sections 279 (rash and negligent driving) of the Indian Penal Code and section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act. However, they are yet to detain the driver.

“We have written to the regional transport office to recommend the suspension of the driver’s licence. Cases are booked against violators in all the incidents that are brought to our notice,” he said.

While he acknowledged that wrong side driving, especially on the far right lane, is very dangerous to all road users, he claimed that only stray incidents are reported.

“Most of which get reported occur near the Ganaganuru toll plaza, Mandya. I suspect it is because people want to avoid the tolls,” he said. He added that he has instructed the Superintendent of Police, Mandya, to increase highway patrolling; the police will take up the issue with emphasis after elections.

In July and August last year, videos of buses from the state transport corporation taking U-turns and travelling in the opposite direction went viral, prompting officials from the transport corporation to direct drivers to take safety measures and traffic rules seriously.

What is the solution?

Alok Kumar Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for Traffic and Road Safety in Karnataka noted that heightened patrolling and stringent action on perpetrators are the only ways to reduce these cases and impact vehicle user behaviour as other infrastructural changes are not feasible on a highway.