Shoddy speed breakers can do more harm than good

Bhopal: Speed breakers are called the "traffic calming device" by road experts in their parlance, but those constructed on Bhopal roads are as much a hazard for commuters as potholes or broken roads. Your vehicle, particularly a two-wheeler, may get off balance anytime as it hits a row of speed breakers constructed in a haphazard manner, or its tyres may be damaged.
"There is no uniformity in terms of height, breadth, size, and numbers of speed breakers which a commuter encounters at different places on the city roads.They are of different types, dimensions, and made of different materials at different places. If you go towards the new apartments beyond Trilanga from Shahpura, you have speed breakers after every few metres on the road that really irritate you. They seem to have constructed speed breakers at the entrance of all the residential societies, and since there are many in the area and many more are coming up, you have speed breakers all over the road," said Sumit Grover, who lives in the area and has to commute on that road daily.
At several places, you also have plastic speed breakers, which may not create that much of a hurdle in encountering them because of their low height, but according to experts, they do maximum damage to tyres of the vehicles. "The plastic speed breakers are the worst as far as damage to the vehicles is concerned. They damage the rim of the vehicles, and once the plastic speed breakers start breaking up, they cut the tyres as well," said Bhagwat, a driver by vocation.
Rokade explains, "Any device on the road or by the roadside is a hazard. Two-wheelers or three-wheelers, which are vulnerable road users because their vehicles are not that stable, constitute more than 75 percent of the traffic in Bhopal, and therefore it's imperative that speed breakers are constructed at the right place, in the right numbers, and in the right shape and size so that commuters are inconvenienced less and the goal of ‘traffic calming' is achieved. It's important that the speed breakers are not made in a manner that the solution itself becomes a problem," he said.
There are guidelines by the Indian Road Congress and other agencies on the shape, size, and material used for the construction of speed breakers, Rokade added. But, whatever the guidelines for proper construction of speed breakers, they are not being followed by the agencies constructing speed breakers in Bhopal for sure.
While talking about the type of speed breakers most suited to the requirement of the Bhopal traffic, Rokade said, "I have advised on several occasions to use ‘transverse bar marking' of a certain thickness on the roads. One set usually has six markings of 10 mm or 15 mm. In most cases, you don't need vehicles to reduce to a speed of 10 to 15 km/h at a speed breaker. When your vehicle gets onto the transverse bar marking at a high speed, its stimulus starts working, and the vehicle starts wobbling and making noise. It has yellow marking and is also retro-reflective, thereby letting people know they have to reduce the speed of their vehicles on the markings."
Retired chief engineer, PWD, V K Amar agreed with Rokade. "White lines (transverse bar markings), at least 6 to 10 at a place, are the only type of speed breakers now recommended by the Indian Road Congress or National Highway Authority of India. As your vehicle gets onto those lines at high speed, it starts making noise, and you know the vehicle has to be slowed down. If you have the speed breakers like the ones we have in Bhopal, your vehicle will jump once as it goes onto the speed breaker, and then you move on with greater speed perhaps."
He further said that there should also be discretion used as to where speed breakers have to be constructed. "You should have a speed breaker where two roads cross or ahead of a road, which has a turn towards a colony or ahead of a school. But, in Bhopal, nobody seems to care these days either about the road or the paraphernalia of the road like signals or speed breakers or warnings. Everything is left to the contractor. There is no supervision. When a road is sanctioned, estimates also take into account speed breakers that will be required, signals and warnings that will have to be put in place. They are all required to ensure the safety of commuters," he said.
When asked whether traffic police are consulted before any speed breaker is built on roads, additional DCP (traffic) Basant Koul said that speed breakers are constructed on roads near schools, residential colonies, roads connecting main roads and highways. The speed breakers should be such that they do not cause a sudden jerk. The opinion of traffic police is sought by construction agencies including BMC and PWD. Traffic police also visit the spot many times where the speed breakers are constructed. In those areas where the volume of traffic is high, the opinion of traffic police is necessary to construct speed breakers.
He further said that if any speed breaker is constructed in violation of norms laid down by the Indian Road Congress, it has to be removed immediately. In case of any major incident caused by such a speed breaker constructed in violation of the norms, legal action can be taken against the responsible person or construction agency.
Another senior traffic cop said that a list of places where the speed breakers need to be constructed is presented by the traffic police during the District Road Safety Committee meeting, where the traffic police and construction agencies coordinate to take measures for the implementation of road safety norms.
He added that the meetings of the Road Safety Committee should be conducted quarterly. In every quarter, two virtual meetings and one actual meeting of the committee should be conducted. But, the meeting of the committee has not taken place in Bhopal after the assembly elections, he conceded.
Bhopal: Speed breakers are called the "traffic calming device" by road experts in their parlance, but those constructed on Bhopal roads are as much a hazard for commuters as potholes or broken roads. Your vehicle, particularly a two-wheeler, may get off balance anytime as it hits a row of speed breakers constructed in a haphazard manner, or its tyres may be damaged.
"There is no uniformity in terms of height, breadth, size, and numbers of speed breakers which a commuter encounters at different places on the city roads. They are of different types, dimensions, and made of different materials at different places. If you go towards the new apartments beyond Trilanga from Shahpura, you have speed breakers after every few metres on the road that really irritate you. They seem to have constructed speed breakers at the entrance of all the residential societies, and since there are many in the area and many more are coming up, you have speed breakers all over the road," said Sumit Grover, who lives in the area and has to commute on that road daily.
At several places, you also have plastic speed breakers, which may not create that much of a hurdle in encountering them because of their low height, but according to experts, they do maximum damage to tyres of the vehicles. "The plastic speed breakers are the worst as far as damage to the vehicles is concerned. They damage the rim of the vehicles, and once the plastic speed breakers start breaking up, they cut the tyres as well," said Bhagwat, a driver by vocation.
Rokade explains, "Any device on the road or by the roadside is a hazard. Two-wheelers or three-wheelers, which are vulnerable road users because their vehicles are not that stable, constitute more than 75 percent of the traffic in Bhopal, and therefore it's imperative that speed breakers are constructed at the right place, in the right numbers, and in the right shape and size so that commuters are inconvenienced less and the goal of ‘traffic calming' is achieved. It's important that the speed breakers are not made in a manner that the solution itself becomes a problem," he said.
There are guidelines by the Indian Road Congress and other agencies on the shape, size, and material used for the construction of speed breakers, Rokade added. But, whatever the guidelines for proper construction of speed breakers, they are not being followed by the agencies constructing speed breakers in Bhopal for sure.
While talking about the type of speed breakers most suited to the requirement of the Bhopal traffic, Rokade said, "I have advised on several occasions to use ‘transverse bar marking' of a certain thickness on the roads. One set usually has six markings of 10 mm or 15 mm. In most cases, you don't need vehicles to reduce to a speed of 10 to 15 km/h at a speed breaker. When your vehicle gets onto the transverse bar marking at a high speed, its stimulus starts working, and the vehicle starts wobbling and making noise. It has yellow marking and is also retro-reflective, thereby letting people know they have to reduce the speed of their vehicles on the markings."
Retired chief engineer, PWD, V K Amar agreed with Rokade. "White lines (transverse bar markings), at least 6 to 10 at a place, are the only type of speed breakers now recommended by the Indian Road Congress or National Highway Authority of India. As your vehicle gets onto those lines at high speed, it starts making noise, and you know the vehicle has to be slowed down. If you have the speed breakers like the ones we have in Bhopal, your vehicle will jump once as it goes onto the speed breaker, and then you move on with greater speed perhaps."
He further said that there should also be discretion used as to where speed breakers have to be constructed. "You should have a speed breaker where two roads cross or ahead of a road, which has a turn towards a colony or ahead of a school. But, in Bhopal, nobody seems to care these days either about the road or the paraphernalia of the road like signals or speed breakers or warnings. Everything is left to the contractor. There is no supervision. When a road is sanctioned, estimates also take into account speed breakers that will be required, signals and warnings that will have to be put in place. They are all required to ensure the safety of commuters," he said.
When asked whether traffic police are consulted before any speed breaker is built on roads, additional DCP (traffic) Basant Koul said that speed breakers are constructed on roads near schools, residential colonies, roads connecting main roads and highways. The speed breakers should be such that they do not cause a sudden jerk. The opinion of traffic police is sought by construction agencies including BMC and PWD. Traffic police also visit the spot many times where the speed breakers are constructed. In those areas where the volume of traffic is high, the opinion of traffic police is necessary to construct speed breakers.
He further said that if any speed breaker is constructed in violation of norms laid down by the Indian Road Congress, it has to be removed immediately. In case of any major incident caused by such a speed breaker constructed in violation of the norms, legal action can be taken against the responsible person or construction agency.
Another senior traffic cop said that a list of places where the speed breakers need to be constructed is presented by the traffic police during the District Road Safety Committee meeting, where the traffic police and construction agencies coordinate to take measures for the implementation of road safety norms.
He added that the meetings of the Road Safety Committee should be conducted quarterly. In every quarter, two virtual meetings and one actual meeting of the committee should be conducted. But, the meeting of the committee has not taken place in Bhopal after the assembly elections, he conceded.