Plea to ban road racing rejected

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has rejected a plea from advocate A Vasudevan of Nerkundram praying for a direction to the DGP to completely ban bike racing on public roads.Solely relying upon a newspaper report on December 12 last year, to the effect that a 55-year-old man was killed by a bike racer on the ECR near Kanathur, petitioner’s counsel R Krishnamurthy sought the total ban on bike racing on public roads.The first bench comprising Chief Justice MY Eqbal and Justice TS Sivagnanam pointed out that the same report had stated that the Adyar traffic police had registered a case and were holding investigation from all angles. The authorities had also planned to install closed circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in some parts of the ECR and at Elliots Beach in Besant Nagar to catch the bike racers.“Thus it appears that the police authorities are taking steps to prevent illegal bike races being conducted on public roads. Therefore, in the facts and circumstances of the case, we are convinced that no general direction as sought for by the petitioner can be issued,’’ the bench said and dismissed the PIL.