Mumbai: No cops present as bikers race at Bandra Reclamation

No cops present as bikers race at Bandra reclamation

Authorities seem to be waiting for an accident to happen as the arterial Bandra Reclamation east bound stretch that starts after the sealink towards the Western Express Highway becomes a racing track for bikers late at night. On Monday night, more than 100 bikers, in the age group 18-25, were seen racing on the stretch and also riding in the wrong direction. A biker who has been part of this race, requesting anonymity, told mid day that the entire race starts with a bet of Rs10,000 and goes up to even pledging the bike in the bet.

Bikers say racing on the stretch has two formats - a 400-metre race that is known as a drag race and a long distance traffic race where one has to ride through traffic. Mondays and Saturdays are the two most preferred days when more than 100 bikers from across the city and even Thane and Navi Mumbai come to take part in the race.

"Late Monday nights bikers who come to reclamation to race leave home saying they are going for Ganpati darshan to Siddhivinayak. On Saturday, too, there are many people who come as Sunday is a holiday. There are bike racing groups and each group has code names such as 05monster group, 46mumbai group and so on. Around 7-10 bikers take part in the 400-metre drag race."

mid-day visited reclamation late Monday night and found bikers racing up and down the stretch at breakneck speed. What was shocking was that not a single police officer or traffic department official was present at the spot to take action despite this being a regular occurrence.

A traffic police constable who did not wished to be named said that it becomes very difficult to take action against bikers as they speed in the wrong direction as soon as they spot the cops.

The residents of BKC and Kalanagar are also fed up of the racing in their area and in March this year they had written to the local police and corporator to stop this menace.

PoliceSpeak
Senior Police Inspector Pandit Thackeray from Bandra Police Station said, "We have been taking action against bikers who race on Bandra Reclamation from time to time. As it is the festival season, there are chances that bikers come to reclamation to race. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday we have plans to visit the reclamation area and take action against those bikers seen speeding on the stretch."