Chennai police have stepped up surveillance and vehicle checks after groups of bikers allegedly raced and performed dangerous stunts on several city roads late Saturday night, prompting residents in Kodambakkam to block a road and demand stronger enforcement.
The bikers were reported on stretches including Nungambakkam, Gemini Flyover, Royapettah, Kodambakkam and Valluvar Kottam. At the Valluvar Kottam signal, more than 25 youths gathered with motorcycles and performed stunts, while videos showing riders speeding past other vehicles circulated online.
Residents said the races had become a recurring feature on Friday and Saturday nights. Repeated engine revving, speeding and sudden manoeuvres alarmed motorists and disturbed people living along the affected roads, according to the report.
The situation escalated on Kodambakkam Main Road, where residents gathered and briefly blocked traffic. They placed barricades across parts of the road in an attempt to stop the bikers, who sped away as residents tried to intercept them.
When patrol police arrived, residents surrounded the personnel and questioned them about what they described as inadequate enforcement despite repeated complaints. The local protest temporarily disrupted traffic on the road.
“Bikers attempting to evade vehicle checks often made sudden U-turns upon spotting police personnel or barricades and sped away in the wrong direction. They put other motorists at risk,” said Dayalan, a resident of United India Colony.
Police later detained three bikers for questioning. Senior officers subsequently increased surveillance on stretches where racing had been reported and added barricades in an effort to intercept riders.
The reported behaviour has created risks not only for the riders but also for motorists, pedestrians and residents using roads that connect several busy parts of the city. Sudden U-turns and wrong-way movements can disrupt regular traffic flows, particularly on flyovers, signals and arterial roads where vehicles are moving at speed.
Police said teams had been deployed to monitor the identified stretches and intercept those involved. Officers are also examining CCTV footage and videos shared online to identify the riders and motorcycles involved.
The enforcement review follows the Kodambakkam residents’ protest and is expected to focus on the roads where weekend racing and stunts were reported.