After being trapped inside their houses for over a month, citizens began venturing out of their homes as soon as country entered the fourth installment of the lockdown. The city traffic police have cracked the whip on such errant motorists amid the lockdown announced to contain the spread of Coronavirus and have come across a list of excuses that the citizens have put forward to them in a bid to get away scot free.
Until last week, the traffic police had intercepted more than 17,000 such motorists at various nakabandis across the city. The citizens had meekly ventured out on city roads for joyride despite repeated appeals made by the city police and their traffic counterparts not to do so, and when they were caught, they would come up an exclusive excuse, only to be caught and get fined.
According to the data released by the Mumbai Police, a total of 1,125 offences were registered against such errant motorists for illegal travelling in the city. An official said, it has come to light that the Dahisar-Kandivali-Malad belt has recorded the most number of traffic offences for unnecessary vehicle use with 336 cases recorded, followed by Ghatkopar-Mulund belt and Dadar-Sion-Chembur belt at 229 and 221 offences registered respectively. The lowest number of traffic offences for unnecessary use of vehicles was registered in South Mumbai with 193 offences, followed by 206 recorded on Andheri-Santacruz-Bandra belt till May 30 lockdown.
A senior official said, even as Mumbai continues to remain a Red Zone, there are no relaxations for vehicular movement, except for emergency and essential reasons. "People are coming up with all sorts of excuses to justify their illegal visits, right from taking pets to the vets, going for a doctor's visit, buying essentials and groceries are some of the excuses which are used to get away from police," said the senior official.
Most common excuses to go for joyrides amid lockdown
· Out to buy vegetables.
· Out to buy grocery and essentials
· Out to meet doctors
· Out to distribute food to the poor.
· Taking pet/s to a vet.
