The invisible speed breakers
Roads in most parts of Shillong are finally as smooth as butter after years of pothole hell. Fresh asphalt gleams under the March sun, tempting drivers to dream of cruising minus the pothole menace.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, your car’s undercarriage bumps the tarmac. What’s that? Not a pothole, but a speed breaker. And here’s the challenge: no white paint. These humongous humps, definitely not legal by any standards, work like camouflage at night, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting vehicles.
While SUVs and the VIP vehicles of our lawmakers can easily negotiate these speed breakers, the ones who send them to office, the ones who drive hatchbacks with ground clearance lower than you can imagine, take all the hit.
Imagine the plight of a person driving a Maruti car with ground clearance approximately that of a couple of pancakes. The driver carefully mounts the hump, and then… CRUNCH. His exhaust pipe lets out a metallic screech, the exhaust pipe suffering the brunt of the silent attack.
The same is the plight of two-wheelers. Women drivers face the biggest problem. But there’s no one to the rescue.
Why no paint, one might ask? Is it budgetary crunch or the work allotted to a different contractor?
Will the speed breakers be painted as is legally mandatory or do we have to wait for the next budget?
Until then, Shillong’s roads will continue to challenge you. You may win a scrape and lose your dignity or a piece of your car.
Let’s hope someone is listening, or reading this.
