Puducherry’s Main Roads Choked by Wrong‑Side Driving

It’s a sight you might expect in a traffic‑free suburb, but on a busy weekday morning in Puducherry you’ll often see two‑wheelers and cars hurtling down the wrong side of a one‑way street. The scene is most obvious on Ambalathadayar Madam Street, yet the problem has crept onto bigger arteries like Jawaharlal Nehru Street, Dumas Street in the Boulevard, and even the bustling junctions at Indira Gandhi Square and Rajiv Gandhi Square.

What started as occasional shortcuts has become, frankly, a habit. Many drivers, it seems, are more interested in dodging a U‑turn or shaving off a minute than obeying the bright “No Entry” board that the traffic police put up last year. The board is there for a reason, but its glaring red‑and‑white message is being treated like a suggestion.

Take the stretch from Ambour to Gingee Salai, for example. Instead of following the designated flow onto Nehru Street, a whole swarm of scooters, motorbikes and even a few compact cars zip the opposite way, squeezing past bewildered pedestrians and startled cyclists. The result? A heightened risk of head‑on collisions and, inevitably, snarls that spill over into the neighboring lanes.

Local officials are understandably frustrated. “We have officers stationed at the nearby traffic police post, and they are constantly trying to redirect traffic,” says one senior police officer who asked to remain unnamed. “But the drivers keep coming back, as if the rule is optional.” He added that fines are being issued, yet the compliance rate remains dismal.

An urban planner, who has been studying the city’s traffic patterns for years, offers a broader perspective. “The mindset behind wrong‑side driving is the real obstacle,” he explains. “People think they’re entitled to take the shortcut, not realizing they’re putting everyone else in danger. It’s not just a rule violation; it’s a public‑safety issue.” He points to J.N. Street as a case study where repeated violations have forced the police to set up temporary barriers, only for drivers to weave around them.

Why do people keep taking the risk? A quick survey of commuters near the Ambalathadayar Madam intersection revealed a common answer: “I’m in a hurry, I don’t have time for a U‑turn.” Others shrugged and said, “Everyone does it, so why not me?” The sentiment is clear – convenience trumps caution.

Experts warn that if the trend isn’t curbed soon, the city could see a spike in serious accidents, especially involving two‑wheelers, which are the most vulnerable road users. “One wrong‑side move can turn into a fatal head‑on crash within seconds,” notes a senior medical officer from the local hospital, who has treated several such injuries over the past year.

What can be done? Police officials are considering installing automatic cameras that snap photos of violators, a move that could act as a stronger deterrent than the current manual checks. Meanwhile, civic groups are urging the municipality to run awareness campaigns, perhaps using local radio spots or school programs to reinforce the importance of obeying one‑way signs.

Until such measures take effect, the everyday commuter in Puducherry must stay alert, especially at known hotspots like Indira Gandhi Square, where the traffic flow changes abruptly. And perhaps, just perhaps, drivers will start thinking twice before they decide that a few saved seconds are worth the risk of a life‑changing collision.