01 September,2026 07:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
A delivery agent rides in the path of vehicles heading towards the island city on the southbound carriageway of the Mahim Causeway. File pic
The Mumbai Traffic Police registered 343 FIRs and took action against 337 persons during a special drive against wrong-side riding and driving that was conducted between July 20 and August 10, highlighting a tougher enforcement approach towards a violation that has emerged as a serious road safety concern.
The 22-day crackdown comes amid continued large-scale violations of basic traffic rules across Mumbai. Latest data shared by Mumbai Traffic Police shows that between January 1 and August 10 this year, 4,01,889 motorists were booked for riding without helmets, while 1,61,609 were penalised for violating no-entry and one-way restrictions.
Another 50,339 motorists were booked for driving without seatbelts, while 23,494 cases of riding three-up were detected during the same period.
The decision to launch a special drive against wrong-side driving and riding was taken against the backdrop of growing concern over the potentially fatal consequences of motorists driving against the flow of traffic. "Wrong-side driving is not a minor traffic violation. It poses a serious risk to motorists and other road users, particularly because it can lead to head-on collisions. The special drive was undertaken to ensure strict action against such dangerous behaviour. Motorists must follow traffic rules and avoid taking shortcuts that put lives at risk," a senior traffic police official said.
Across Maharashtra, wrong-side driving and riding was linked to 1262 accidents and 460 deaths in 2025, according to state road accident data reported in July. The violation frequently results in high-speed, head-on collisions, making it among the most dangerous forms of risky driving.
The Maharashtra data also showed that enforcement against wrong-side driving and riding has been rising. While 21,264 challans were issued for the violation in 2022, the figure rose to 71,218 in 2023, stood at 69,344 in 2024, and increased to 98,005 in 2025. By May 31 this year, 52,422 cases had already been recorded statewide.
The latest figures show that while enforcement continues, violations remain widespread. The number of helmet violations, for instance, stood at 8,92,726 in 2024, according to the latest data shared by Mumbai Traffic Police, falling to 4,90,919 in 2025. However, 4,01,889 cases had already been recorded by August 10 this year. Similarly, no-entry and one-way violations stood at 2,58,291 in 2024 and 2,09,519 in 2025, with 1,61,609 cases recorded by August 10 this year.
The figures for riding three-up were 36,994 in 2024; 29,570 in 2025; and 23,494 till August 10, 2026.
Seatbelt violations declined from 2,90,999 in 2024 to 1,00,765 in 2025, with 50,339 cases recorded till August 10 this year.
The Mumbai Traffic Police's 2024 e-Challan Annual Report shows that traffic violations were not evenly spread across the city, with some traffic divisions emerging as major enforcement hotspots. The official division-wise data recorded 59,37,151 challans across Mumbai in 2024. Among Mumbai's traffic divisions, Mankhurd recorded the highest number of challans in 2024 at 2,01,239, followed by Bandra with 1,88,528, Samta Nagar with 1,63,694, and Trombay with 1,58,761.
Transport analyst AV Shenoy said, "While registering FIRs against those who drive on the wrong side of the road is a welcome step, a more implentative approach would be like what officials do in foreign countries, where if the same motorist repeats the offence, their licence is suspended."
Absence of helmets
Dindoshi: 40,852
Mulund: 34,056
Kandivli: 31,751
Kanjurmarg: 30,293
No-entry/one-way
Mankhurd: 52,886
Sahar: 52,054
Kandivli: 49,324
Kalbadevi: 46,086
Wrong-side driving
Chunabhatti: 2189
Trombay: 1602
Dindoshi: 1554
Chembur: 1410
No seatbelt
Chunabhatti: 23,995
Kanjurmarg: 19,204
Vikhroli: 17,514
Trombay: 12,345
Source: Mumbai Traffic Police e-Challan Annual Report 2024
Special drive period
July 20 to August 10, 2026
343
FIRs registered
337
No. of people penalised
[popcorn number="460" desc="No. of deaths linked to wrong-side driving in state in 2025" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="1262" desc="No. of accidents linked to wrong-side driving in state in 2025" class="Default"]
