Pune Municipal Corporation To Remove 600 Speed Breakers
Pune Municipal Corporation To Remove 600 Speed Breakers
In a bid to improve road safety and reduce accidents, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to remove nearly 600 unscientific speed breakers built without following the norms of the Indian Road Congress (IRC). The decision comes after repeated complaints from citizens and commuters about the dangers posed by these speed breakers.
Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of PMC’s road department communicated with media that, a survey of the speed breakers was carried out in the civic areas after the complaints. “The ones which pose a danger will be removed,” Pawaskar said. The civic areas have around 3,500 speed breakers spanning around 2,000km, and hundreds of them seem to be causing more harm than good.
Activists and citizens have been complaining that most speed breakers do not comply with the guidelines of the IRC and do not follow the current policy laid down by the PMC.
As per IRC guidelines, the profile of a circular-shaped hump should not be more than 10cm above the road surface. IRC clearly states that any rise of more than 10cm may cause damage to vehicles. The updated IRC guidelines also suggest a speed limit of 30kmph in urban areas.
In 2016, the civic body formed a speed breaker committee, which suggested improvements and standardisation in the construction of speed breakers. However, it seems that the recommendations were not implemented effectively, leading to the current situation.
The PMC’s decision to remove the unscientific speed breakers is a welcome move, and citizens are hoping that it will improve road safety and reduce accidents.
