The experiment over, the police decided that scooters and motorcycles will as usual drive along the main carriage way while cycles and other slow moving vehicles will be diverted to the side roads.

Inspector General of Police Kiran Bedi told Newsline that it was an experiment "which helped us arrive at certain useful conclusions. We found that the main road was capable of taking scooters. However, the experimentation is not over. We have to keep thinking of finding ways to reduce accidents."

The traffic on the roads, she added, was being constantly monitored. "We found that it were the cyclists who were causing problems. From tomorrow, while the two-wheelers will be back on the main carriageway, the cyclists will not be allowed. We will ensure that all cyclists go to the slow carriageway," she said. She added that no motorist was challaned for this particular offence.

Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Balbir Singh added that the plan was being shelved for the time being as the slow carriage roads in their present shape were not exactly ready for the two-wheelers. "Maybe, we could think of resuming it once we get better roads."

This morning, the traffic police diverted all two-wheelers to the slow carriage ways on the Madhya Marg. While this was initially started on the slow carriage way in front of the Grain Market, it was subsequently extended to the entire stretch of the road along the Madhya Marg. The police also diverted two-wheelers coming to Chandigarh from S.A.S. Nagar to the slow carriage way on the Himalayan Marg. Several two-wheeler riders complained of harassment. They said the slow carriage roads were not motorable -- bumpy, with big potholes.

"Also, it will add to the chaos. Since the most common mode of transportation here is two-wheelers all of them cannot be diverted to the narrow side-roads," argued a bank employee S.K. Nagpal.

Some motorists, however, did laud the move. "The segregation of big and small vehicles will surely reduce the possibility of fatal accidents as it is only the heavier vehicles that kill," said Sector 19 resident Kulwant Singh.