Noida traffic can feel like the wild west with lane violations taking place left, right and centre. To make life easier for commuters and reduce traffic congestion, Noida Traffic Police has implemented ‘No lane changing zones’ at three places — Charkha roundabout near Amity University, Gardens Galleria Mall to Film City, and Bird Feeding Point near Dalit Prerna Sthal. The police have increased the challan for violating lane discipline rules Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000.
Lane indiscipline could cost you big in Noida
Noida Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) Lakhan Singh Yadav explains that the lack of lane discipline is the one of the major causes of traffic jams. Hence, Noida Traffic zeroed in on the three locations — Charkha roundabout near Amity University, Gardens Galleria Mall to Film City, and Bird Feeding Point near Dalit Prerna Sthal where commuters will not be allowed to change lanes at the last minute once they have entered the intersection.
For better understanding for commuters, Noida Traffic has set up signboards of Lane Change Zone Start or Lane Change Prohibited. The Lane Change signs are situated almost 100 metres ahead of the roundabouts or intersections, giving commuters plenty of time to change or stick to their lane.
The reason behind this is quite simple. The flow of the traffic gets disrupted when people start cutting into other lanes and other drivers might not have enough time or space to react resulting in a dead halt.
Want to avoid fines? Stop cutting corners
Under Section 119/177 of the Motor Vehicles Act, every driver is required to follow all traffic signs and regulations. Ignoring signs like “Lane Change Zone Start” or “Lane Change Prohibited” is considered a violation, and you could be slapped with a Rs 2,000 fine. If commuters repeatedly disregard these lane-changing rules, they could face even harsher penalties under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, with a Rs 5,000 fine for dangerous driving.
To ensure the rule is enforced effectively, there will be three traffic police officers posted at the designated location from 8 am to 1 am and then from 4 pm to 9 pm. Initially, the violators will receive e-challan from the police officers and later cameras will be installed.
