Wrong lane driving a growing concern in Noida
The Noida traffic police have reported a surge in wrong-side driving at several major junctions in the city, significantly jeopardising commuter safety and raising the risk of accidents.
The key junctions where wrong-side driving is prevalent include Sector 16 (from Film City to Metro), the Sector 12/22 road near the Botanical Garden, and the Sector 18 underpass, said senior traffic officers, adding that such violations are often resorted to by motorists as a way to avoid longer routes.
“As a daily commuter, I have seen many drivers take the wrong lane just to save a few minutes, but it only increases the risk of accidents even for those following the rules,” said Pankaj Kumar, who was heading towards the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) Flyway from the Sector 16 junction.
He said, “Traffic police should identify areas in Noida prone to wrong-side driving, where traffic flow is heavy and fast paced.”
Traffic police said they are continuously running drives to curb wrong-side driving and other violations such as riding two-wheelers without helmets, drink driving, and speeding. Officers asserted that they are penalising violators using the integrated traffic management system (ITMS) cameras. In the past two months (Jan-Feb), the Noida police issued as many as 35,397 fines for wrong-side driving.
However, senior police officers also maintained that bringing about a“behavioural change and ensuring that commuters have knowledge of traffic rules are more important than repeatedly penalising violators.
Going beyond merely issuing fines, traffic police officers have announced that they will begin filing FIRs against individuals caught driving on the wrong side of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and other key routes, including the elevated road from Sector 18 to 62.
“We will file an FIR against the vehicle owner if they are found driving on the wrong side on the expressway and elevated road,” said Lakhan Singh Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (traffic).
At Sector 16, e-rickshaws are stationed near the junction and they often ferry passengers to Film City. However, while returning, they often take the wrong side to reach Sector 16 as they want to avoid the longer route through Sector 18 to reach Sector 16.
E-rickshaw drivers and two-wheeler riders accepted that they drive on the wrong side to save time and distance. “We know we are riding on the wrong side, which can be dangerous, but riding from Film City to DLF Mall, and then to Sector 18 to reach Sector 16 is too long a detour,” said Praveen Gupta, a two-wheeler rider from Film City to Sector 16.
SImilar to Sector 16, two-wheeler riders take the wrong lane on Sector 12/22 and near Botanical Garden Metro station to avoid the longer route.
DCP Yadav said he has directed officers to enforce compliance and curb such violations.
According to Noida traffic police data, 462 people died and 966 people were injured in 1,165 accidents in 2024. During the same period, the traffic police issued 2.8 million fines, including 171,000 fines for wrong-side driving.
Man dies in road accident
A 56-year-old man died after coming under the wheels of a speeding truck in Noida‘s Sector 63 on Thursday morning, police said.
Police said the deceased, Atul Gupta, who hailed from Roorkee and resided in Sector 63, was returning home on his sccoter around 9am from Khoda in Ghaziabad when he came under the rear wheels of a speeding truck.
“The incident took place near Behlolpur underpass, and the truck driver managed to escape following the accident. Upon getting information, we rushed to the spot, and the injured was taken to the hospital, where he died during treatment,” said Avdhesh Pratap, station house officer, Sector 63.
Enraged by the accident, locals damaged the truck and tried to torch it, but the timely arrival of a fire tender at the spot deterred them, said police, adding that a case under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at Sector 63 police station.
