The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is again in the news, for wrong reasons though. This time around, for the blatant violation of the norms laid down by the Indian Road Congress (IRC).
The Corporation’s unilateral decision of laying road humps unscientifically, on a few stretches of the West of Chord (WoC) Road in Vijayanagar and Mahalakshmi Layout, has attracted the road users’ wrath. The humps laid on the busy WoC Road are causing minor accidents.
The onus of constructing roads under Metro rail tracks is on BMRCL.
It has constructed reasonably good roads on a few stretches of the WoC Road. However, BMRCL got the spots wrong while constructing humps at a few locations in Vijayanagar (between Manuvana and Vijayanagar bus stop) and between Soap Factory and Yeshwantpur underbridge. The BMRCL authorities have also placed two road rumblers on Mahakavi Kuvempu Road near Harishchandra Ghat at Mariyappanapalya.
Ideally, any agency constructing roads should seek permission from the jurisdictional police to construct the humps.
At times, the police suggest the agencies to lay the humps, wherever necessary, to prevent non-fatal accidents and overspeeding.
In case of Vijayanagar, Mahalakshmi Layout and Mariyappanapalya, the BMRCL authorities have not sought permission from the local police before constructing humps and placing road rumblers.
In the dark
The Vijayanagar traffic police said they were kept in the dark by the BMRCL. The police said they received many complaints about non-fatal accidents and inconvenience to drivers due to humps.
“We will ask the sector officer concerned to study the matter and submit a report,” said a police officer.
A few drivers viewed the drive between Manuvana and Vijayanagar bus stop as dangerous, especially late at night. The humps are not visible till drivers approach them. The chassis of vehicles are damaged badly as vehicles are driven in full speed on the humps. There is absolutely no signboard indicating humps ahead, they said.
Clear visibility
Additional Commissioner of police (traffic and security) B Dayananda told Deccan Herald that they would request BMRCL to mark the road with thermoplastic paint and road studs (cat eyes) at the approach of the humps to ensure clear visibility.
“We will do it to ensure the humps adhere to IRC norms, if BMRCL fails,” he said.If found unnecessary, the police would ask them to remove such humps, he added.
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