‘Why road humps when potholes turn speed breakers?’

Bengalureans face many hurdles to their road safety, and unscientifically erected speed breakers are among the major ones. In a city where humps are put up ubiquitously on arterial, sub-arterial and local roads without any regulation, accidents linked to these structures are always on the rise. DH speaks to a cross-section of Bengalureans who face problems on a daily basis on these roads to get their input on the burning issue.

Kishore K, a resident of R T Nagar, has been witnessing accidents caused by road humps right in front of his house. He says, “The condition of the road, as well as the speed breaker, becomes worse when it rains. About four months back, 9-10 accidents occurred here within an hour. Due to visibility issues, motorcyclists still fall off their bikes during nighttime. Some people were seriously injured and had to be hospitalised.”

Constantly flagging the issue in WhatsApp groups, Kishore had also brought this to the attention of local representatives multiple times. “There is no need for a hump at this place as the road is slippery and there is another hump a few metres away. Proper white paint mark was also not there in the hump, so I painted it on a few occasions,” he recalls.

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“I had approached all concerned representatives of the locality with the CCTV footage evidence, but very minimal action has been taken. If this is not removed, it could be fatal for the commuters,” fears Kishore.

Ramakrishna Bharanya, an entrepreneur who comes across many speed breakers on his daily commute from Rajajinagar to MG Road, says, “While the speed breakers on the main roads have been built properly and are necessary, the ones on the local roads, one-way roads have been causing problems. They have no proper marking and some are situated right next to the signal which doesn’t make sense. I have seen vehicles struggling to pass through humps because of their height.”

He has also observed a delay in painting the speed breakers. “The authorities don’t paint the humps with the same speed that they show in erecting these structures. By the time the painting is done, some vehicles have already met with accidents.”

People jokingly point out the role of potholes serving as speed breakers. Varun Bhat, a film professional elaborates, “The condition of local roads are pathetic in the first place. Besides, these humps make it more dangerous as the road becomes uneven. I travel around 25 kms every day between Girinagar and Mysore road, and there are speed breakers at congested places, one-way roads and other unnecessary spots. Along with motorists, they cause problems for pedestrians as well.”

Highlighting the health factor, he adds, “Speed breakers affect the aged, ailing people who have back pain issues, especially in ambulances. Authorities can use PVC speed breakers that are safe and better suited.”

Shashwathi M, a research student notes, “Instead of saving people from possible accidents, the speed breakers of Bengaluru are themselves causing accidents. I myself once met with an accident near Rajajinagar because I could not spot the hump as it was raining.”

As solutions to these problems, she urges authorities to put up speed bump road signs and reflectors mandatorily along with speed humps. And humps should not cross the prescribed height limit and should cover the whole line of the road.