BBMP to upgrade 600 City humps
City roads are riddled with 3,098 road humps, according to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP). Of these, 2,000 are said to be “illegal.”
The palike has now called for tenders worth Rs 2.17 crore for upgrading 600 of the remaining 1,098 humps on a 65-km stretch. The BBMP will not only maintain these humps, but also make them “visible” for drivers.
The Bangalore Traffic Police have been maintaining these speed breakers for nearly six years. Owing to “lack of sufficient funds,“ the police have now entrusted the BBMP with the task of upkeeping the humps.
Palike officials say the traffic police this year received nearly Rs 10 crore for their work in the City under the Bangalore Traffic Improvement Project (BTRAC). Yet the police complain of insufficient funds.
BBMP sources say fund misuse is widespread in the BTRAC, if the actual expenditure on maintaining the traffic systems and speed breakers are taken into consideration.
Lack of funds within the BBMP has also put maintenance of road humps in limbo. Officials state that despite inviting the tenders for 10 packages involving the maintenance of these road humps, placing of aluminium thermo plastic median markers and painting of medians have not given clearance citing fund shortage.
“Most VIPs want speed breakers before their houses. There are at least 10 illegal road humps for every legal one in each BBMP ward,” said an official. The Karnataka High Court has directed that there should not be any humps on State Highways. However, roads in and around the City are riddled with these illegal speed breakers.
