In a bid to control traffic violations and curb the cases of rash driving, Delhi Police has now started lodging FIRs against motorists who ride in the wrong lane. In just 16 days, 125 cases have been registered.
Earlier, there was no provision of FIR for riding in the wrong lane and only a challan was imposed.
However, the increasing challans prompted police to book the riders violating rules. As per a report by Hindustan Times, the first FIR was lodged on January 3 in Delhi Cantt. With this, Delhi became the first Union Territory to register criminal cases for wrong-lane driving.
Increasing Challans
Prior to this, no stringent actions were taken against those who were driving in wrong lanes. Only a monetary penalty of Rs 5,000 was imposed on a first-time offence and on multiple violations, a fine of Rs 10,000 was applicable.
Repeated offence could also lead to suspension of a driver’s licence. However, these measures were not sufficient to stop violations. According to the data shared by Delhi Traffic Police, over 305,000 challans were issued for wrong-side driving in 2025, compared with over 240,000 in 2024.
Now, the FIR is being lodged against motorists under section 281 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
