Inconsistency in road design, alleges RTI activist

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 20

There is widespread inconsistency in the size of speed-breakers, slip roads, marking of roads and zebra crossings. This irregularity in road design and lane markings give an impression that the Municipal Corporation (MC) does not have any set of established rules to follow when it comes to offering surface infrastructure, alleged RTI activist Naresh Johar.

Speed-breakers of different sizes constructed in contravention of specifications, can be easily found on city roads. Some have a sharp hump causing damage to the vehicles, while others are flat providing no resistance to the speeding vehicles.

These have turned into a nuisance for commuters in the city. A number of plastic speed-breakers got damaged soon after installation by the movement of traffic but the sharpened nails, used to fasten the bumps, still remain on the road, damaging the tyres of the vehicles. The authorities concerned appear to be least bothered about it as the performance of plastic speed-breakers hasn’t been reviewed.

Plastic speed-breakers are poorly designed. Vehicle-borne people experience jerks even at a low speed. It can also lead to back pain and other health problems. Such speed humps have been installed unnecessarily at various points.

With lack of proper road infrastructure like zebra crossing lanes, speed limit signs and slip roads, the city roads are vulnerable to mishaps. It seems the administration has completely forgotten to mark these vital safety points on roads. Slip roads do not find enough attention in the administration’s scheme of things which result in traffic jams at nearly every intersection and does not provide enough space for the pedestrians.

Johar said in his RTI query to the MC that he asked for a copy of the specifications of the Indian Road Congress. He claimed that there is not a single road in the city which has a zig-zag line, guiding drivers of asharp turn ahead.