Mumbaikars are persistent to breaking all the traffic rules. On every signal, there will be at least one vehicle owner who will not stop at the red light. The site of parked vehicles under the no-parking zone is quite a common one. Similarly, people take U-turns where they are not allowed to take one and drive on the wrong-side as well.
To teach a lesson to wrong-side drivers, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) installed a spiked speed breaker near Malabar Hill Reservoir, BG Kher Road. This was the first time a spiked speed breaker was installed in Mumbai.
Now, the Mumbai Traffic Police wants another one to be installed at the same stretch, about 800 meters away from the first one.
BG Kher Road is a one-way drive street. People residing or traveling via this route at Malabar Hill complained about wrong-side drivers. Hence, on a pilot basis, a spiked speed breaker was installed between Hanging Garden and Kemps Corner.
In May 2023, Joint Police Commissioner Pravin Kumar Padwal wrote a letter to the BMC’s D ward assistant municipal commissioner and suggested him to install spiked speed breaker at Malabar Hill. He emphasised in his letter that wrong-side driving here can lead to severe accidents, and this is an issue he is majorly concerned about. This was mainly done to prevent bikers from making a commute from the wrong-side of the area.
Mumbai Police Response:
Feedback from Mumbai Traffic Division Police is an excellent one. Traffic Police officials want similar tyre-killing spiked breakers to be installed throughout Mumbai, where wrong-side driving is concerned.
All the police divisions are making a list of spots in their jurisdiction where wrong-side driving is concerning the locals.
Spiked Speed Breaker:
Uncertainty about spiked speed breakers is that despite being successful, they can still damage or cause harm to a vehicle's tyre, even if it drives the right way. Such speed-breakers have been rejected by certain cities.Traffic is able to move securely in one direction as a result of the spiked speed breakers installation. Metal spikes can disable vehicles by ruining their tyres.
It is roughly 9.5 meters long and costs about INR 4 lakh.
Sudhir Badami, a traffic expert, expressed his displeasure with the placement of such speed breakers. Badami expressed fear of accidents. He said that even a small accident at the scene can cause major injuries. He recommended penalising people who disregard traffic laws instead.
Similar speed breakers with spikes have previously been installed in Pune's Amanora Township to discourage wrong-side driving. But people there manage to drive through the gaps in the spiked breaker without causing any harm to their vehicle. This has created a big chaos there.
However, the Pune Traffic Police issued an order for the society to take them down due to safety reasons.
Share
Tweet
