NEW DELHI: Wrong-side driving is no longer seen as reckless in Delhi. It’s treated as routine. Cars, bikes and even autos cut into oncoming streams of traffic to save time from taking a far-away U-turn, putting themselves and oth-ers at risk. Be it underpasses, flyover loops, service lanes or busy intersections, wrong-side driving is an everyday sight, turning ordinary commutes into dangerous games of chance.This year, traffic police prosecuted 1.84 lakh violators — that’s around 750 cases on average every day. The numbers show that wrong-side driving isn’t a rare lapse; it has become a daily hazard on city roads. In 2022, around 95,800 violations were recorded. By 2023, the total had nearly doubled to 1.84 lakh, largely due to increased camera detections. In 2024, the combined challans and notices had crossed 2.49 lakh. This year, on-the-spot challans have surpassed camera-detection notices.Some areas see more wrong-side driving than others. For example, this year, Bhajanpura tops the list with 13,082 violations, followed by Najafgarh and Paschim Vihar with 10,712 each, Sarita Vihar has seen 8,848 violations, and Mayur Vihar 8,479.These are the cases that have been recorded. Social media is flooded with videos of cars reversing down elevated roads, bikers crawling the wrong way across highways, and autos recklessly steering into oncoming traffic.One online user wrote: “When will we get freedom from daily lawlessness on city roads — encroachments on footpaths, wrong-side driving & illegal pressure horns? These are not just violations. These risk lives. Delhi deserves better.”
Another said, “Same place, Kalindi Kunj to Madanpur Khadar road (Delhi-Mumbai Expressway) wrong-side driving, huge chances of accident, rash driving & ruckus by e-rickshaw, no traffic police to fine them.”Wrong-side driving often leads to accidents. For example, about a month ago, an e-rickshaw driver on NH-9 died after ramming into a Ciaz, triggering another collision. In June, a drunk driver going the wrong way crashed into a divider and barricades, narrowly missing three traffic policemen. In March, a delivery executive in Noida’s Sector 104 was killed when a bus hit his e-scooter. In Feb, a car travelling against traffic on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway collided with a motorcycle, throwing the rider to the ground.While Delhi struggles to rein in this habit, in countries such as Japan, Australia, and the UK, wrong-side driving attracts hefty fines and demerit points, which are assigned for all traffic offences and can eventually lead to a licence suspension or cancellation.In Japan, aggressive or obstructive driving that creates a significant traffic hazard carries 35 demerit points. In Australia, fines range from AUD 400-1,000, often with demerit points, and offenders may face jail if accidents occur. In the UK, driving the wrong way can result in fines and penalty points. Reversing on a motorway can bring a £2,500 fine and 3–9 penalty points. But, experts argue that a culture of compliance matters even more, which is why violations are rarer in these countries.CRRI scientist S Vel Murugan said, “The scale of wrong-side driving in the city has become unimaginable. From an enforcement perspective, measures like lok adalats only dilute the fear of penalties, which is essential for compliance in India. The same individual who flouts rules here would follow them abroad because of the fear of strict enforcement there. Second, faulty road engineering plays a significant role. On many arterial stretches, service roads lead directly into intersections, tempting people to take the wrong side. Feasibility studies often focus only on traffic volume, but they should also account for the needs of people living in those areas.”Traffic educators also add that understanding driver behaviour and the reasons behind taking the wrong side are key to finding lasting solutions. Rohit Baluja, director of the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), said: “The number of challans issued does not necessarily reflect the scale of the problem. It only shows the extent of enforcement. People drive on the wrong side for several reasons: encountering traffic jams, seeking shortcuts, confusion due to a lack of signage, or simply because enforcement is weak. Often, road users are forced to travel long distances for U-turns, and authorities need to recognise these practical issues.He added, “To address the problem, faulty engineering must be corrected. Authorities should analyse why people are driving the wrong way at specific locations. If it’s due to unnecessarily long detours, the design must be fixed.”Traffic police emphasise that awareness campaigns are as important as enforcement. Special CP (traffic) Ajay Chaudhary said: “We are doing massive prosecution, but the lack of discipline and compliance remains a major reason why wrong-side driving continues in some parts of the city. From our side, we are working on strengthening enforcement even more, such as adding more cameras. At the same time, awareness is equally important. Every day, we conduct campaigns for commuters on various traffic violations, including the risks of wrong-side driving. This summer, we even held camps in schools. Delhi traffic police has written to the education department, suggesting it be included in the curriculum to inculcate the importance of traffic discipline in young minds.Additional CP (Traffic) Dinesh Kumar Gupta said, “At several points, traffic police are deployed to stop wrong-side drivers, but it isn’t possible to post personnel at every small cut along major stretches. In some places, U-turns are located far away, and since their placement doesn’t fall under our ambit, people often choose to drive on the wrong side. Whenever violators are caught, we not only take action but also counsel them.“The transport department did not comment. A PWD official said that for every project, a consultancy study is conducted to assess all aspects of the area. Experts are involved, and the road is designed based on their inputs.
