Hyderabad Police crack down on wrong-side driving menace

Hyderabad Traffic Police intensified action against wrong-side driving after booking over 10,000 motorists in a week. Officials said the offence is a major cause of accidents and congestion. Special drives, surveillance, and awareness campaigns are being conducted to curb violations

Hyderabad: A worrying rise in motorists driving on the wrong side of the road has prompted intensive enforcement by the Hyderabad Traffic Police, who say the dangerous practice is a major cause of congestion and life-threatening accidents across the city.

Special drives in recent weeks have led to tens of thousands of challans as authorities try to curb the behaviour. As per traffic police data, in the first week of October alone, the Hyderabad Traffic Police booked 10,652 motorists for wrong-side driving during a week-long enforcement operation.

On multi-lane stretches and at U-turns, especially near residential and market areas, wrong-side movement becomes common during peak hours. The problem is severe when two-wheelers weave between vehicles or use the median to bypass traffic, creating sudden and unexpected conflicts for oncoming traffic.

Hyderabad’s traffic leadership has responded with a mix of targeted manpower deployments, mobile and static checks, and camera-assisted surveillance.

“The figure is part of a continuing trend of focused short-term drives that routinely turn up large numbers of violators. Motorists cut across lanes to save time, use service roads or median openings as shortcuts, or avoid congestion at intersections,” said Rahul Hegde, DCP, Traffic-I.

Officials note that wrong-side driving has already caused multiple fatalities over the past few years. That record underlines the Traffic Police’s decision to launch repeated crackdowns.

“With limited staff and besides traffic regulation duties, we are working towards better and safer roads by curbing this menace through regular special drives against wrong-side driving. However, there needs to be a change in motorist behaviour too,” the DCP said.

Joint Commissioner (Traffic), Hyderabad, D Joel Davis, and other senior officers have publicly urged motorists to stick to lanes and warned of strict penalties under the Motor Vehicles Act. During surprise operations, the RTA and traffic teams have also seized vehicles and issued on-the-spot challans to offenders.

Enforcement is increasingly being backed by technology and sustained drives. In several cases, authorities say repeat offenders have accumulated dozens of challans.

Road safety activists say enforcement alone will not solve the problem. Their short and medium-term recommendations include clearer lane markings and signage at junctions and U-turns, more protected median openings at hazardous spots, and public education campaigns.

They also urge faster prosecution of reckless heavy-vehicle drivers and stricter checks on commercial vehicles that flout rules.

Meanwhile, motorists say sustained, visible enforcement combined with engineering fixes and community engagement is the only realistic path to reduce both violations and avoidable deaths.