Iffath Fathima By Express News Service BENGALURU: In an effort to crack down on drag racers and ‘wheelie wonkers’ in the city, the police is carrying out special drives in all police station limits. The Bangalore traffic police claim that earlier the stunt maniacs would be seen at night on weekends. But now the trend has been catching up in the day time and even on weekdays. “Eight to ten bikers come together and perform their usual stunts on Devenahalli Road. At times we even catch three to four cars racing against one another. Two such riders were caught recently,” said a senior police officer. According to the traffic police statistics this year, the number of drag racing cases has already reached 449. In the year 2017, it was 2,515 and in 2018 it touched 1,235. “The 2018 statistic was comparatively lesser than what we had in 2017, but in 2019 it has already reached 449, which is worrying and we are trying to curb it. During the day the cases are less as there is more traffic. Places like Hebbal, Electronic City, Old Madras Road, Outer Ring road, Nice Road, Devenahalli, Old Airport Road, RT Nagar are some common places where drag racing is seen frequently,” said a traffic police officer from Halasuru. Last week the KR Puram traffic booked ten bikers who were performing stunts in their limits. “We caught riders on Old Madras Road and Mahadevapura Ring Road at night, they were around 22 years old. So far, we have registered 20 cases, which includes wheelie wonkers,” said KR Puram traffic police inspector. About 50 ‘wheelie wonkers’ cases have been booked in 44 traffic police stations till the month of June in the city. In 2018, 79 such cases were booked, while in 2017 the number reached 168. “We booked 21 cases of wheelie wonkers. Irrespective of day or night, they start wheeling without helmets whenever they feel like. Earlier a single person would perform wheelie on the bike, but now in a majority of these cases we see two people sitting on the bike. Even girls take part in this. Most of them are caught on Bommanahalli Road,” said a police officer from Madiwala. In the first week of June, the Hebbal traffic police station filed four cases against those who were performing stunts on Byatarayanapura Road. The Halasuru police inspector also said that super bikes with noisy silencers are seen in Trinity Circle and MG Road. “The generation is smart and they should understand that riding this way will do no good. Even the parents should teach them and probably avoid giving bikes at a young age. At times we even catch juveniles doing stunts. It is really scary,” a senior traffic police officer said. A senior traffic police said that a special task force has been assigned in all traffic police stations to crack down on these stunt maniacs. They will carry out continuous drives through the day..”

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