As the city’s traffic problem continues to bring new facets, wrong-side driving has emerged as a major problem for citizens and commuters, especially on the roads that run beneath flyovers. The Adivasi Shaheed Gowari flyover is a major hotspot for this menace, as part of it is situated in the already busy and traffic-dense area of Dhantoli. The road from Gorakshan Square to Janata Square is especially prone to this menace, and faces a steady stream of wrong-side drivers throughout the day. The problem worsens because the road stretch has recently been cemented, and the paver blocks have not yet been laid on the road edges, which means that ambulances and private four-wheelers are being parked on the road itself. Roughly a third of the road is taken up for this, which means that the road is narrowed, further increasing the risk of collisions on the road.

 

Moreover, despite the flyover, the road is still prone to traffic congestions. “My office is nearby so I use that road every day,” said Ritesh Umredkar, a commuter. “During the peak evening rush, while we are already struggling to navigate the traffic, some people come from the wrong side of the road and expect us to move our vehicles so they can go. If you don’t move, or are unable to because of the traffic, some of them honk at you constantly. It is infuriating, and the traffic police must take more stringent measures to curb this practise.” A similar situation is observed beneath the Dnyanyogi Dr Shrikant Jichkar flyover on the Bole Petrol Pump side, where two and four-wheeler drivers, particularly those visiting the Regional Transport Office (RTO), frequently drive on the wrong side to reach the U-turn near GS College, disregarding traffic rules and endangering other road users.

 

The problem is compounded at Babasaheb Ghatate Chowk, where the road is at its narrowest as the flyover descends. Illegal or haphazard parking of two-wheelers and vans offering PUC services along the roadside further reduces the available carriageway. Commuters exiting adjoining lanes often find themselves face-to-face with vehicles coming from the wrong direction, creating confusion and increasing the risk of collisions. Citizens say such violations have become routine at several locations across the city and argue that stricter enforcement, regular monitoring, and visible deployment of traffic personnel are necessary to curb the menace. They have urged the traffic police to take immediate action against wrong-side driving before it results in more serious accidents.