Journalism of Courage
A survey, conducted by Pune City Police’s traffic unit, has revealed that of the 2,600 speed-breakers in the city, as many as 1,500 do not conform to the norms of the Indian Roads Congress. The speed-breakers are set up by the road department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). “In a survey conducted across Pune, we have found that over 50 per cent of the speed-breakers are not as per IRC norms,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, traffic, Ashok Morale.
“The location of the speed-breakers is not much of a problem, but the way they are designed is. They are either too high or wide, or have other faults in their design,” he said. At least 1,500 speed-breakers of the 2,600 have problems, said Morale. Some of the rumbler strips laid out on concrete roads are also dangerous, said the DCP. “These rubber rumbler strips, which have nuts and bolts, are dangerous for commuters. When the rumbler strips are broken, the nuts and bolts get exposed, damaging vehicles which pass over them,” he said.
The city had almost 700 such “faulty” rumbler strips, said Morale, adding, “Rumbler strips on concrete roads are dangerous but those on tar roads, made of tar, are preferable”. The issue of ‘faulty’ speed-breakers surfaced at a recent meeting of the Speed-Breaker Committee of the PMC, when civic activist Qaneez Sukhrani pointed out that only 295 speed-breakers were ‘legal’, or sanctioned by traffic police. “This is how things work in Pune… laid-down norms are trampled upon, putting the life of local residents at risk. When will the PMC wake up,” she said.
Sukhrani said she had procured information about the ‘faulty’ speed-breakers by filing an application under the Right to Information Act. In its reply, the traffic police conceded that only 295 of the speed-breakers out of the 2,600 had been given a no-objection certificate. PMC often seeks an NoC from traffic police after laying the speed-breakers, not before, the traffic police stated in its reply.
Superintendent Engineer, PMC, Aniruddha Pawaskar said, “Yes, we have been told by the traffic police that some of the speed-breakers are not as per IRC norms. We have decided to set up a committee which will study the design… we will get them redesigned as per IRC norms.” However, he disagreed that as many as 1,500 speed-breakers in the city didn’t match IRC norms. “We don’t believe the figure is so high, but we will carry out our survey…,” said Pawaskar, adding that the civic body also planned to remove ‘rubber’ rumbler strips that were damaged. “We will try to set up better speed-breakers across Pune city and we are working towards that end,” he said.
PMC’s Additional Municipal Commissioner Prerna Deshbhartar, who is also on the Speed-Breaker Committee, said the civic body has already issued directives for conducting a survey of the existing speed-breakers. Civic activist Prashant Inamdar said there was a pressing need to set up a Speed-Breaker Approval Committee. “… such a committee is needed because it has come to light that speed-breakers in the city have been laid, either with permission from politicians, or all and sundry, without any planning,” he said.
In a series of articles in November, Pune Newsline had highlighted how speed-breakers, among other factors, have been responsible for several two-wheeler riders losing their lives or sustaining serious injuries.
