Two-wheelers, like autorickshaws, should be banned in the city, the Bombay high court suggested on Thursday.
The court came up with the suggestion while dismissing two public interest petitions against the ban on two-wheelers on the JJ flyover.
A division bench of justice JN Patel and justice SC Dharmadhikari felt that it would be better if citizens started riding bicycles.
“We can direct the authorities to provide dedicated lanes for bicycles, like in other foreign countries,” Patel said.
“Some matters are best left to the authorities,” the court said. The judges, however, directed the traffic authorities to consider the petitioners' suggestion to modify the ban.
Indian Mumbaikars for Peace and Community Together (IMPACT), an NGO, and Anil Chaurasia filed petitions against the ban. Both petitions said there was no convenient alternative route for motorcyclists.
The ban also leads to fuel wastage because motorcyclists are forced to take a longer route to reach South Mumbai, Mubin Solkar, advocate for IMPACT, said.
But the judges felt it was a policy decision that did not need judicial interference. The court took into account an affidavit filed by Nandkumar Chaugule, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), while dismissing the petitions.
“The decision has been taken in the public interest,” Chaugule’s affidavit read. “Out of 31 accidental deaths registered on the JJ flyover between 2002 and 2010, 30 involved two-wheeler riders. The number of two-wheeler riders injured in accidents has crossed 184.”
After studying the number of accidents involving two-wheelers on this 2.4km flyover, which has three sharp turns, the traffic control branch of the Mumbai police issued a notification banning two-wheelers on the flyover from April 1, 2010, Chaugule said in the affidavit.
The turn near Mandvi post office is dangerous and the maximum number of accidents had happened on this stretch, according to the affidavit.
Senior officers from the traffic department blame speeding for accidents on the flyover. Most motorcyclists do not obey the speed limit of 30kph, an officer said.
“Apart from speeding, they drive rashly,” he said. Most of the bikers do not wear helmets, especially at night, the officer said.
