In India, approximately 70 per cent of the population relies on roads for their travel needs. These roads are crucial for the nation’s economy as they facilitate the smooth transportation of goods and commodities across the country.
Despite being the main means of transportation, our roads have also earned a notorious reputation for reckless driving. It has become increasingly common to see dangerous driving practices that jeopardise the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and passengers.
Governments and authorities are trying their best to curb this issue with all their capacities. Recently, it was reported that the Bombay Municipal Corporation has installed spikes on speed breakers in Mumbai, to put an end to wrong-side driving.
The BMC has installed speed breakers with tyre killer spikes on BG Kher Marg in Malabar Hill, Mumbai, to discourage two-wheeler riders from using the wrong side of the road. Although this is the first time such spikes have been used in Mumbai, similar measures have been taken in Noida, UP.
BMC officials took this action in response to several complaints from residents about bikers entering the wrong lane from the Kemps Corner junction. The traffic police also supported the idea of using spike speed breakers, which led to their installation.
The spike speed breakers are part of the BMC’s efforts to address the issue of reckless driving and improve road safety. The corporation is open to installing more of these spike speed breakers in other locations across the city if necessary.
While locals appreciate the new initiative, experts have voiced their concerns and disapproval. The spikes indeed pose a risk of causing serious injuries in the event of an accident. Instead, some experts suggest that the traffic police should issue challans to discourage motorists from using the wrong lane.
Although the locals have welcomed the new initiative, many experts have raised their safety concerns. They point out that the spike speed breakers may pose a risk of causing severe injuries in case of accidents.
Instead, they proposed an alternative approach, suggesting that the traffic police should issue challans to discourage motorists from using the wrong lane. In a similar situation in 2018, the Pune traffic police had ordered the municipality to remove the tyre killer speed breakers, citing safety issues.
The installation of tyre killer spike speed breakers in Mumbai is indeed an effective measure to stop two-wheeler riders using the wrong side of the road. But it’ll be great if they could come up with alternatives instead of solely relying on physical deterrents like spike speed breakers.
