99% speed breakers aren’t scientific: Karnataka Minister

Karnataka Public Works Minister CC Patil admitted that 99 per cent of speed breakers on highways and major roads are unscientific, an issue that witnessed a heated debate in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

This came up during question hour when former Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar asked Patil for details on authorised road humps/speed breakers on the 52-km Hoskote-Madikeri Crossroad and 82-km national highway 234 connecting Mulbagal and Chikballapur.

Patil, in his written response, said the 52-km road has 33 authorised ‘raised pedestrian crossings’ and that 70 out of 84 road humps on NH 234 are unscientific.

Kumar was livid at the answer. “It’s not 33, but the 52-km road has 47 humps,” he said. “Is there a process to this? Who puts these road humps? Don’t your officials inspect roads? This is the second time this House is discussing the issue. Why should we come here?” he asked, demanding the minister to suspend the engineers concerned. “If you suspend officials, then such speed humps will go. Do officials think we are buffoons?”

Patil admitted that road humps have become a menace. “I suffer from this in my own constituency, but suspending officials isn’t the solution,” he said. The minister explained that unscientific road humps come up at the behest of locals. “They get contractors directly to have speed breakers installed. They want a speed breaker wherever there are accidents. This is abnormal, I agree. Of all speed breakers, 99 per cent won’t be scientific,” he said, adding that he would direct officials to remove unscientific road humps.

“This problem wasn’t created overnight,” Patil said.

Kumar was far from being convinced. “I will withdraw this question. Expunge the answer. This is an insult I will not take,” he said.

Kumar took on Patil further on why he was not applying his mind, citing the example of the road leading to the Kempegowda International Airport. “You have the police to check the speeding. You also allow tempos, rickshaws and scooters. People wanting to catch their flights on time get late,” he said.

Even Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, too, pitched in on the issue and asked Patil to do something about the arbitrary use of road humps. “Officials should find a way to rise above pressures at the local level.”

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