Pune: PMC removes only 250 out of 567 defective speed breakers in two months

Speed breakers are jointly constructed by the road department, projects department, and ward offices and the PMC does not have concrete data on the total number of speed breakers in the city and whether they have been constructed according to IRC standards.

Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) road department began removing speed bumps from city roads in April, promising to complete the project soon. However, as per information,  only 250 out of 567 defective speed breakers were removed by the administration in two months.

The PMC claimed that it did not have the necessary labour force to get this work done and many were also occupied with the election work.  Residents have been critical of the department’s poor quality, delayed work, and indifferent attitude towards commuter safety, asking for the project to be completed before the monsoon season.

Pune’s roads are in poor condition, with potholes and broken speed bumps causing daily inconvenience for commuters. In April, the PMC dismantled 108 speed breakers found to be incorrect and in violation of IRC regulations. However, the civic body did not hold ward authorities and contractors accountable for the subpar job.

The road authority found 567 shoddy-built speed bumps and plans to remove the remaining ones within the next few months. The city has 1,400 km of roads, with newly-merged villages adding 500 to 600 km. Additionally, the PMC also lacks concrete data on the total number of speed breakers and their construction compliance with IRC standards.

The areas where bumps have been removed include Baner – Aundh Road, Balewadi, Ideal Colony, Karve Road, Kothrud Depo Signal Road, Phursungi, Nagar Road, Ramwadi metro station, Kharadi bypass road, Kalyani Nagar Road, Lohegaon – Dhanori Road, Ganesh Nagar, Keshavrao JedheRoad, Mohammadwadi – Wanawadi Road, Katraj – Kondhwa Road, Satara Road, LMD Chowk, Tadigutta Chowk to Mundhwa Chowk, and Old Pune – Mumbai highway up to Harris Bridge.

An official shared how the cost of removing these breakers is minimal and will be completed promptly. Tar-made speed breakers are easier to remove without surfacing while the removal of concrete-made speed breakers requires resurfacing. Positive feedback has been received for the removal of speed bumps, and the process will be completed soon.