‘Unpainted road humps, faulty signboards taking lives’

The display of clear public signage on the roadsides as well as on other essential buildings and construction sites is essential for the smooth functioning of a city. The lack of it will lead to untoward incidents, severely straining the city’s efficient management. Public signboards, as Bengalureans feel, are just not up to the mark for a city infamous for its traffic.

DH spoke to a cross-section of Bengalureans to know what they see and think about the city’s public signage.

Indrishka Bose, a media professional says, “To manage the city’s chaotic and congested traffic, clear traffic signage is a must, and this will definitely make it easier for commuters. The entire planning needs a revamp, especially with more people flocking to Bengaluru.”

As she points out, ‘Slow Down’ signs are missing, a glaring lacuna triggering several accidents. Also, she says, quotes on the ‘necessity of wearing helmets’ can encourage the youth to abide by the rules. She cites an example: ‘Wear your helmets, because a family is waiting for you.’

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“Due to severe rainfall, we often witness the city getting completely waterlogged. Pothole accidents are becoming common here nowadays. So signage in that area can be really helpful,” she adds.

Narasimha Datta, a resident of Seshadripuram has this to say: “The transport department has a revenue target of Rs 8,000 crore in 2022-23. Karnataka has one of the highest road taxes in the country. Amidst all this, we are stuck in traffic for hours due to bad roads filled with potholes. These are grudgingly and speedily fixed around election time. Road signs are either non-existent or are irrelevant where available.”

Elaborating on commuter woes, he says, “Long stretches of roads with invisible/unpainted road humps, limited signage in blind turns, etc lead to continued endangerment of the public and frustration of motorists. Where they do exist, they are hardly followed, whether it is the speed limit or pedestrian crossing. It is natural due to inconsistency and general public demeanour.”

“If the civic bodies are serious about public safety, they need to put up proper signboards across the city, and educate the public on using them,” he adds.

Midhun Krishna, who is a rider and a software engineer by profession has faced the issues caused by the lack of signboards many times. He explains, “Missing signboards are a major issue faced by the city’s commuters. Many times, the signboards will be absent or may be in a place that is not visible while driving. Having a signboard is not enough, scientifically placing those boards is the most critical so that it would be properly visible.”

He also draws attention to signboard issues at places near construction sites: “There are many places where construction works are taken up. Most of these areas do not have proper signboards, and this often puts riders in deep trouble. It is particularly dangerous to ride/drive during night time without proper signage or reflective signboard and street lights.”

Saranya, who is a resident of Mathikere, says, “If we compare Bengaluru roads a few years back to the current ones, we can see a lot of difference. It was a beautiful city, but all that aesthetic sense is now gone due to the construction works. These works and poor maintenance of the roads are already causing a lot of trouble for commuters. If signboards too are missing, it is bound to increase the number of accidents.”