Speed-breakers, back-breakers

Speed-breakers, back-breakers

July 15th, 2009
By Our Correspondent

Bengaluru, July 14: Not all speed-breakers in the city help prevent accidents. Some even cause them, the reason being that they may have come up on a random whim of the local people and not after a scientific study of the right location for them. The traffic police has now decided to identify such speed-breakers and either remove them or convert them into pedestrian crossings. It is in the process of doing a survey of them on the city’s arterial roads.
Additional commissioner of police (traffic) Pravin Sood reveals that the traffic police recently held a meeting with the BBMP commissioner to identify and remove unscientific speed-breakers or convert them into high-rise pedestrian crossings.
According to him, contrary to the popular impression that all speed-breakers prevent accidents, some actually hamper the smooth flow of traffic if not located at the right place. “Whenever an accident takes place, speed- breakers come up overnight even without going into the reasons for the mishap. This only adds to the traffic problem in the area,” Mr Sood told Deccan Chronicle.
A speed-breaker must be within 15 cms in height, according to the specifications of the Indian Road Congress which are binding on the Bengaluru traffic police.
Many speed-breakers in the city, however, are taller and also violate the other IRC specifications about their location and the distance they must maintain from traffic junctions.
“There are a number of locations such as schools, colleges and hospitals where speed-breakers are a must. But many come up overnight under pressure from the local people. Everyone wants a speed-breaker in front of his house, but the same people complain about them when they come up on other roads,” Mr Sood adds.
For instance, although the National Highway Authority is not in favour of having speed-breakers on highways running through cities, a number of them are found on Mysore Road and Hosur Road, which are allegedly unauthorised and prove more of a hindrance than a help to motorists.