The work of Public Works Department (PWD) only highlights its failure and interest in improving a forsaken scenario. It looks like the PWD is not at all bothered to improve the traveling experience of commuters in and around the city, a statement that comes due to the presence of speed breakers and road humps which are constructed without following mandatory guidelines. The tale of missing links in a smooth stretch is a debate better not stirred.
Several PWD secretaries had given promising assurances that they would take a look on this matter but nothing constructive or promising has come out of it so far.
The present PWD secretary S Chyrmang had given an assurance to paint and lend a proper shape to the weirdly constructed speed breakers just before the Christmas.
Showing a sense of urgency and fast response, Chyrmang, in the presence of The Shillong Times reporter, called up his Executive Engineer to take up the matter immediately.
But sadly even this directive by the top officials in the PWD was never abided by his junior officers. A question arises on the mode of functioning and the missing links in the chain of commands.
Travelers and drivers alike are facing a horrible experience due to the presence of these speed breakers which are mostly uneven in size and do not conform to the guidelines specified by the Indian Road Congress (IRC).
As per IRC guidelines a road hump should have a central height of 10-12 cm, should be parabolic in shape and have a width of 3.5 meters and length same as the road width. The road humps should be painted in a ‘V’ shape and illuminated by solar cat’s eyes (solar cells embedded on pavements/road that reflect sun rays and glow in the dark) to make them visible. The humps should not be more than five meters away from the junction or the intersection.
Two signboards, one at 20 to 30 meters and another 10 meters away from the hump should be placed for the commuters to know about the road humps ahead. Intrusion of tree branches should be prevented. Road humps should be put up only on the main roads and not on the cross roads. In ‘rumble strips’ (humps that have around 5 to 10 strips together), the width of each strip is to be one foot and the gap between each strip, one foot.
However, the road humps constructed on the city roads are found to flout all these specifications. What is most surprising is that there are speed breakers in the city constructed even on a curved stretch of the road.
It has also been observed that in some localities, the local administrative bodies sometimes construct the road humps on their own without even bothering to inform the PWD or seek any prior permission. The result – uneven humps leading to bumpy rides.
It has also been noticed that there is no proper indication about any speed breaker. Normally, the speed breaker should be painted in a ‘V’ shape. But it is not a difficult task to recollect that not a single speed breaker in the city is painted. Non-painted speed breakers are a potential risk to drivers especially during the night hours. Many drivers have complained that they find it difficult to negotiate these speed breakers at night.
It is also found that the trend of putting a sign board reading ‘Drive Slow Speed Breaker Ahead’ is no longer implemented.
The violations in guidelines only indicate one thing – PWD engineers do not go to the site to select the location and dimensions of the speed breakers before their construction.
(By Lamphrang
Nongspung)
Some of the IRC guidelines
lA road hump should have a central height of 10-12 cm.
lSpeed breaker should be parabolic in shape and have a width of 3.5 meters and length same as the road width.
lThe road humps should be painted in a ‘V’ shape and illuminated by solar cat’s eyes.
lThe humps should not be more than five meters away from the junction or the intersection.
lTwo signboards, one at 20 to 30 meters and another 10 meters away from the hump should be placed for the commuters to know about the road humps ahead.
lIntrusion of tree branches should be prevented.
lIn ‘rumble strips’ (humps that have around 5 to 10 strips together), the width of each strip is to be one foot and the gap between each strip, one foot.