Street racing at its peak again in capital city

Street racing at its peak again in capital city
There are allegations that the police are taking bribe from these gangs and turning a blind eye to these incidents.

Thiruvananthapuram: The menace of street racing, involving cars and motor bikes, has reached epic proportions in the city. The illegal racing, which starts in the evening and stretches late into night, is usually held on Maanaveeyam Veedhi, Pettah and by-pass roads of the capital city.

Many gangs have interests in these racing and the winner is given a fat wallet through betting. The over-speeding cars and bikes are a threat to the lives of pedestrians, and sometimes normal life is thrown of gear. But it seems that the police are still unaware of this dangerous practice. There are also allegations that the police are taking bribe from these gangs and turning a blind eye to these incidents.

Maanaveeyam Veedhi – main race course

Maanaveeyam veedhi, the cultural street near Vellayambalam, is the main race course for these illegal speed merchants. After speed-guns and cameras were installed on the Vellayambalam-Kowdiar stretch to track over-speeding vehicles, the groups had to shift their focus to the Maanaveeyam Veedhi to hold such illegal races. More people are participating in these races as the winners are given hefty cash prizes. But unfortunately, the nearby Museum Police is in the dark about these perilous races.

Usually, the street racing is conducted between 5pm and 2am. Recently, a speeding car had hit a youth and later rammed a wall near Althara Junction on the Maanaveeyam Veedhi. After the accident, local people handed over three people, including the 17-year-old driver, who were in the car to the police. The rampaging car also smashed two motorbikes before ramming the wall.

The Museum Police had registered a case based on a complaint lodged by the injured youth, but no action was taken against the erring car driver.

The gangs involved in street racing use drugs and alcohol to pep up the racing experience posing more danger to other motorists and pedestrians.

In a bid to put a lid on street racing, Maanaveeyam Theruvidom Cultural Collective president Vinod Vaishak and secretary K G Sooraj have urged the officials concerned to install CCTV cameras and speed-breakers on the stretch.

Under police’s nose

Another point of interest for these racers is the railway station road near Pettah police station. As night falls, racing, along with bike stunts such as drifting and sliding, could be seen on this road. Scores of passengers, including women, who come to the railway station are at risk due to these races. Though the police are claiming that action had been initiated against these groups, the races are continuing unabated on this road.

The by-pass road, on the Kovalam-Thiruvallam stretch, is another venue of such races. Those who meet with accidents during these races are taken to private hospitals for treatment by these gangs, and the police are not kept in the loop about these accidents.

There are people, some inside the police force, to give tip-off to the gangs regarding the presence of police patrol vehicles in an area. In the past, the police were forced to take action against gangs conducting these illegal races as many lives were lost on the roads, and now, street racing is rearing its ugly head again in the city.

It’s generation gap: Museum SI

The main problem is the unauthorized parking of vehicles on the Maanaveeyam road, and minor accidents do happen, said Museum SI Sunil Kumar. The trouble lies in how the old generation perceives those vrooming around on new-generation motorbikes, he added. When a car or bike over-speeds, most see it as street racing, and cameras would be installed in future on the Maanaveeyam road. It’s not right to blow petty issues out of proportion, the SI noted.

Unaware of street racing: Traffic AC

“We are not aware of any street racing on the Maanveeyam Veedhi,” said Traffic AC. These issues, if any, should be dealt with by the Museum Police, and the traffic police are unaware of such races, said traffic police.

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