45 speed-breakers on a 6.5-km stretch

Somebody...hump...save...hump...our...hump...spine...hump

An SOS from Bangalore residents who have to tackle 45 speed-breakers on a 6.5-km stretch of Haralur Road connecting Bellandur to Electronic City...and, there’s more

Bangalore is clearly polarised between those who want speed-breakers and others who don't. As of now, the former have the upper hand, but this week, Bangalore Mirror readers — Vadiraja Bhatt, Sudhakar Pai, Prem Singh and Murali — drove on two busy roads to show how speed-breakers have reduced certain stretches to a dangerous roller coaster ride.

Kasavanahalli Main Road (connecting Sarjapur to Electronic City) and Haralur Road (Bellandur and Outer Ring Road to Electronic City) together have 74 humps on a 13 km stretch. That works out to at least five humps for every kilometre.

Not only that, the humps have been built in an unscientific manner, turning them into hazards and traffic bottlenecks.

Vadiraja Bhatt, president of Lake Shore Homes Residents' Association, which is on Kasavanahalli Road (also called Hosa Road), said, “Four wheelers and BMTC buses, especially the A/C ones, get stuck at these speed-breakers because they have been constructed badly. In the morning hours, this leads to a massive jam as vehicles slow down at each hump.”

Home Minister Dr V S Acharya admitted as much in the Legislative Council while proclaiming that all unnecessary speed-breakers, specifically the unscientific ones, would go. He promised results in a month's time. “These humps not only harm the spine, but speeding vehicles often meet with accidents if they fail to slow down at these humps,” he had said.

Despite this, humps continue to rule our roads.

According to Vadiraja Bhatt, some time ago, a group of residents from Bellandur had requested the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to remove unscientific road humps on Kasavanahalli road, but there was no response.

“Recently, after Home Minister V S Acharya promised that unneccesary road humps would go, we sent a detailed illustration to both the police and the Joint Commissioner of Mahadevapura showing how the humps pose problems to motorists and residents, with possible solutions. But, we are yet to get a reply,” Bhatt, a US-returned IT professional, said.

The humps had been built into the roads at the behest of locals. When Hosa Road was laid three years ago, locals and traders insisted on a number of road humps. However, norms were flouted during construction. Plus, the placing of some humps raised suspicion about commercial interests being at play.

“Some speed-breakers are right in front of liquor shops,” Prem Singh, a resident of Lake Shore, said.It is the same story at Haralur Road. “The humps are not even visible,” said Murali D, president of Reliable Residency on Haralur Road.

M N Sreehari, advisor to the state government on traffic, transport and infrastructure, said, “According to the Indian Road Congress, speed-breakers are not required. Humps may be provided for minor roads, but only if absolutely necessary. In Bangalore, most are laid at the behest of influential people residing on those streets.”

NORMS FOR road humps

Sreehari said that speed-breakers should be parabolic in shape with a height of 15 cm and length of 3.5 metre. They should have zebra stripes and cat's-eye reflectors to increase visibility.

'SPEED-BREAKERS WILL GO'

On July 8, Home Minister Dr V S Acharya proclaimed in the Legislative Council that all unnecessary speed-breakers, specifically the unscientific ones, in the city would go. He promised results in a month's time.

“These humps not only harm the spine, but speeding vehicles often meet with accidents if they fail to slow down at these humps. Many are unscientific and unnecessary. The government will initiate steps to identify and remove bad road humps and replace them with more scientifically designed ones.

“We have already directed the BBMP, BDA and district authorities, police, public works department officials to remove unscientific speed breakers.''