THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The law has no voice in front of the house of the man heading the State Government. The stretch of road from Kowdiar to Vellayambalam, in front of Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s residence, has been the venue of street races for years and the law enforcers have been trying in vain to curb the menace. The accidents and consequent deaths on the road have been mounting steadily. The count has increased by two with the tragic death of teenagers Vishnu and Alwin on Saturday night. But the deaths were not a powerful reason enough for the thrill-seeking youngsters to stay away from the particular road, which has become their favourite race course in the city. What is so special about this particular road that woos the speed-loving young motorists from all parts of the city? According to Mikhil of Ghostryderz, a bike stunting team in the city, the excellent condition of the stretch itself is the major factor. The road remains well-maintained, without a single blotch on its surface throughout the year.The long stretch of road is straight, wide and does not have any speed breakers - reason enough for the youngsters to rev up their engines once they enter the stretch, he said. There is another reason for Mikhil, the stuntman who has featured in several super hit films as a stunt double, to be concerned over the accidents. "Every time something untoward happens on the road, people and media blame us. But the truth is, our team does not endorse street racing and we do our stunts in controlled environments and not on roads,’’ he said. The practice of street racing on the road has been a matter of concern for the local people and law-abiding motorists for years. The street racers have been posing a danger to themselves as well as the other motorists who drive within the speed limits. The youth wing of a political party had even ransacked a posh restaurant beside the road, alleging that the shop provided shelter to the racers. However, according to City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham, trying to stop a speeding vehicle would only be increasing the possibility of an accident. Hence, manual checking of racing is a near-impossible task. Over-speeding vehicles that are caught on the surveillance cameras are penalised regularly. But the penalty is so meagre an amount that the racers do not even care about shelling out the amount, he said. "The Police Department is planning to launch an awareness drive involving the families of victims of road rage in colleges in the city as a last resort to curb the menace,’’ the Commissioner said, expressing hope that the tragic accident deaths on this stretch would be a reminder to other speeding young riders. A few months ago, three youths had died on the road at night after the motorcycle they rode rammed into the wall of a house beside the road. A few days later, a group of four youths speeding in a car were arrested for injuring a family riding on a motorcycle. Following these incidents, the police had reinforced the security measures by installing surveillance cameras at Kowdiar and Vellayambalam junctions.
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