Of fused streetlights and unauthorised speed-breakers on roads

Of fused streetlights and unauthorised speed-breakers on roads

Raghava M., The Hindu

Two-wheeler riders are especially vulnerable to these twin hazards

Police bringing to BBMP’s notice roads needing illumination

Official says BBMP attending to complaints of poor illumination



BANGALORE: Sunil Kumar, a 30-year-old priest, was killed on the night of July 18 on Kasturba Road when he was riding his scooter home. Eyewitnesses said he did not notice the road hump located right under a streetlight. Kumar, who was not wearing a helmet, lost his balance and fell off the vehicle. He died on the way to hospital.

But according to the police, a mini bus hit the scooter just after it crossed the road hump. “The road hump is just below the streetlight. There is no case of poor visibility of the road hump causing the accident,” said a jurisdictional police officer. He, however, concedes: “Maybe the markings on it wore off.”

When The Hindu visited the spot minutes after the incident, it was clear that drivers could barely notice the speed breaker. Two days later, police took steps to remove it and replace it with yellow and white stripes.

If this is a case of those using well-lit sections of the city’s roads, there have been many incidents reported on stretches which are either poorly lit or do not have lights at all. Take the case of K. Raja, a resident of J.P. Nagar, who met with an accident while riding back home on his scooter at night. Near Madhavan Park, he could not see the newly laid road hump. He hit it and fell. He is still recovering from the injuries.
BBMP aware

A senior police officer said the city police have been regularly bringing to the notice of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) about roads that need better illumination.

When contacted, a BBMP Executive Engineer told The Hindu that the BBMP had been attending to complaints of poor illumination. Problems such as replacement of bulbs and other electrical fittings are done within 24 hours of a complain t. But, he said, it takes time to implement works. “We are coordinating with the police and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited in addressing these problems,” he said, adding that streetlight maintenance was being done by private parties. This explanation does not satisfy the motorists or pedestrians. For example, those using the busy Wind Tunnel Road, which is off the Airport Road, point out that a majority of the 30-odd street lights are fused.

Apart from badly lit roads, it looks as if Bangaloreans will have to live with road humps. The police officer The Hindu spoke to said that his department was going ahead marking lanes, painting road humps and pedestrian crossings un der the Bangalore Traffic Improvement Project. “We are also specifying the standards for laying humps.”

But motorists like B. Krishna Rao, who was thrown off his two-wheeler when he went over an unauthorised road hump, also wants the police to remove such illegal and badly constructed hazards paid for and laid by residents that dot the city.