The peaceful morning atmosphere of Panchkula is frequently disrupted by groups of high-performance bikers who allegedly turn the Zirakpur-Kalka-Shimla highway into a high-speed riding track on weekends, with some riding at speeds of around 150 kmph and performing dangerous stunts.
During the wait, several of them allegedly perform wheelies and zig-zag riding near the toll plaza. The stretch is already vulnerable as trucks remain parked near the toll plaza in the morning, increasing the risk of collisions. The bikers generally enter the highway from Zirakpur while coming from the Patiala road and Ambala-Chandigarh highway, while those arriving from Chandigarh use Madhya Marg and enter through Chandimandir. The officer also claimed that some riders from affluent families allegedly attempt to use contacts with bureaucrats or police officers after being stopped, while others accuse police of harassment. Overspeeding, rash driving and wrong parking were among the recorded causes.
From 5 am to 9 am on weekends, bikers from Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana gather near the Chandimandir toll plaza, waiting for their group members before heading towards the Kalka-Shimla highway. Once on NH-5, some riders allegedly accelerate to around 150 kmph, accompanied by loud exhausts, posing a risk to other commuters. A police officer said the permissible speed limit for two-wheelers on the highway is 50 kmph, while some bikers allegedly travel at 120 kmph or more. 44 lives lost on NH-5 in 5 years The Chandimandir toll plaza had the black-spot tag from 2021 to 2023, recording eight crashes, three deaths and five injuries. Other black spots on NH-5, including Old Panchkula traffic lights, Surajpur bus stop, Amravati Enclave and HMT Gate, recorded 18 crashes, eight deaths and 19 injuries during the same period. Between 2023 and 2025, 31 crashes at identified black spots, including Sector 12A, Railly, Santi-Banti Dhaba, Chandimandir traffic lights and the slip road near Chandimandir railway station, claimed 33 lives.
There are no speed-detection cameras on the stretch. Because of the rash riding, ravinder Pal, 45, a Surajpur resident, said he avoids the stretch for morning cycling with his minor son.
Gagan, an IT professional from Chandigarh, said the speeding bikes and loud noise often give cyclists and other commuters “close shaves”. Naresh, a Chandimandir toll plaza employee, said its cameras can detect registration numbers but cannot determine vehicle speed. A senior toll plaza official said a patrolling team could be deployed if required. When asked about the violations, sub-inspector Abhishek, Surajpur SHO (traffic), said automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras are proposed at key locations, including the Zirakpur-Shimla highway and near HMT, Pinjore, to deal with violations.
