2,550 fined in 1 day for flouting traffic rules

MUMBAI: Over 2,550 traffic violations were recorded across the city on Gokulashtami, Monday. The crackdown was largely aimed at govindas, who are known to flout traffic rules. There were also reports of harassment at the hands of govindas and a few complaints were lodged.
“We put up nakabandis at 50 locations in Mumbai. The highest number of offences recorded were for helmetless riding (2,044), followed by riding in threes on motorcycles (352); 84 cases of drunk driving were recorded, besides 78 cases of sitting on vehicle rooftops,” said joint commissioner, traffic, B K Upadhyaya.
Traffic policemen were out in full force, but that couldn’t prevent jams. A snarl-up near Charni Road, caused by two trucks carrying govindas, delayed an ambulance with a cardiac patient headed for a nearby hospital.
Traffic jams were reported from Bandra to Andheri and from Malad to Dahisar on SV Road as well as Link Road. Affected roads included Princess Street, Sion-Panvel Highway, Nehru Road, LBS Marg, Hanuman Road in Vile Parle (East) and Tulsi Pipe Road.
“At Malad, near Liberty Garden, groups of govindas travelling in trucks threw bottles at pedestrians and passed lewd comments and blew kisses at women. It was disgusting,” said local resident Dipesh Tank on a social networking site. He said policemen were on bandobast duty only 100 metres away, but did nothing. “I doubt if any woman would dare complain. It was like mass molestation,” he said. A media professional from Borivli said she shrank into the back seat of her vehicle every time a truck full of govindas passed by.