Mumbai: Bike racers continue to irk Lokhandwala locals as cops pass the buck

The new Versova police chowky is located on the road but was locked from outside when midday paid a visit PicsDATTA KUMBHARWith two police stations nearby and a new police chowky right on their street the residents of Lokhandwala Backroad had hoped they would finally see the last of bike racing menace But the bikers continue to drive the LokhandwalaOshiwara Citizens Association LOCA the police stations are merely passing buck to each other crying jurisdictionLokhandwala Backroad has long been notorious for its biker menace with riders attempting dangerous stunts and drag races there every evening Nothing has stopped the menace so far mdash not the 16 speed breakers installed by the BMC on the 2km stretch nor the Versova and Oshiwara police stations both of which hold jurisdiction in the localityWhile officers from both police stations claim they carry out regular nakabandis and patrolling residents said the bikers continue to do as they pleaseAlso read Mumbai Cops slam the brakes on Marine Drive racersEven after setting up a new chowky on Lokhandwala Backroad less than a year ago the Versova police have not been able to put an end to the issue In fact when midday visited the spot the chowky was found unattended and padlocked from outside Even the nakabandis and barriers set up by the Versova police and Lokhandwala police were unattendedVersova Police barricades are left unattended on the roadResidents upsetLokhandwala Backroad has been infamous for years because of bike racing illegal parking of luxury buses and more recently encroachment by hawkers said Dhaval Shah founder of the LokhandwalaOshiwara Citizens Association LOCA Despite the newly opened Versova beat chowky the drag racers continue to enjoy their late evening stunts almost daily putting other motorists and pedestrians at risk as well as creating noise pollution in the localityPolice copping outWhen midday approached Senior PI Subhash Khanvilkar from Oshiwara police station he said More than 90 per cent of Backroad comes under the jurisdiction of the Versova police ours is only the portion of the road that runs parallel to Joggers Park We regularly set up nakabandis on our end of the roadAlso read Rules be damned Bikers perform reckless stunts on Mumbai streetsSenior PI Kiran Kale of Versova police had a similar answer We have a new police chowky set up there and regularly patrol on Backroad We even set up barricades and nakabandis to apprehend motoristsBut this reporter did not find cops from either police station manning the checkpoints on the road Asked to provide the number of rash driving cases they had registered so far this year officers from both stations said they would not be able to do soThe Backroad stretch heading towards Reliance is a secluded area where youngsters race in their vehicles Most of them ride tripleseat on their bikes and in some cases there are up to five people in a single auto rickshaw This is risks the lives of the passengers as well as fellow motorists and joggers said social activist Prakash GidwaniDhaval Shah founder of LOCABumps in the roadEven the speed breakers installed by the BMC have added to the locals problem With as many as 16 speed bumps in relatively short stretch motorists have to suffer an extremely bumpy ride There is also an increased risk of accidents as some of the bumps have not been painted for easy visibility After all of these inconvenience to locals the speed breakers dont even serve their purpose ndash the BMC never bothered to repair any wear and tear which means bikers often just dodge the bumps from the sideAccording to Prashant Gaikwad assistant municipal commissioner KW ward however the speed breakers are doing their job Installing the speed breakers mdash as well as their positioning mdash was decided by the traffic department I think the breakers have helped to reduce the biking menace he said adding that they would ensure that the bumps are repaired and painted soon