Midnight bike racing on NH-16 raises safety concerns
Illegal midnight bike racing has emerged as a road safety concern in Visakhapatnam, with groups of youngsters allegedly using stretches of NH-16 and other arterial roads for high-speed racing and stunts, posing a risk to motorists.
Road users said bikers assemble shortly after 1 a.m. before converging at various locations across the city. Riding high-performance motorcycles, many fitted with modified exhausts, they reportedly perform wheelies and zigzag manoeuvres at high speed, causing panic among late-night commuters.
While such activities were earlier confined to Beach Road, the BRTS corridor and IT Hills Road, they have recently spread to NH-16, particularly the stretches between Maddilapalem Junction and Rama Talkies via Siripuram, and between Port Hospital Junction and Tatichhetlapalem Junction.
“The sound of the bikes is enough to tell us they are racing. They appear out of nowhere at high speed, forcing motorists to slow down or pull over,” said a regular commuter.
On Saturday, around 1.30 a.m., more than 20 bikers reportedly gathered near Port Hospital Junction. Eyewitnesses said some riders performed stunts while others sped away in different directions.
Residents questioned the police response, pointing out that traffic personnel were stationed about 500 metres away at Akkayyapalem Junction but allegedly did not intervene. They also raised concerns about the effectiveness of the CCTV surveillance system monitored from the Police Control Room.
A police official said intercepting the racers was challenging because their motorcycles often outpaced patrol vehicles and the riders dispersed in different directions when officers attempted to stop them. Many motorcycles either did not display registration plates or had them concealed with magnetic covers, making identification difficult, the official added.
Police officers have suggested deploying plainclothes enforcement teams to monitor the racers and apprehend them after they stop, instead of engaging in high-speed pursuits.
Residents urged the police to intensify enforcement and curb illegal racing before it results in a serious accident.