Hyderabad: Citizens’ clamour for removal of rumble strips grows louder

Hyderabad: The motorists have once again started demanding the removal of rumble strips on roads and flyovers laid in the city. The strips which are intended to force drivers to slow down and prevent accidents are turning into potential health hazards and damaging vehicles. On social media, road experts and netizens have been running a campaign as a ‘Daily Reminder’ for the last 86 days, but they say there is no response from civic body nor other departments.

The experts are raising objections over the rumble strips and urging the authorities to remove these strips. The demand for the removal of rumble strips on roads and flyovers in Hyderabad arose after an ‘X’ handle called ‘Team Road Squad’ ran a daily reminder with a hashtag #RemoveRumbleStrips.

The experts who are promoting road safety across the country have been running a campaign urging the government, civic body and police with the daily reminder for the last 86 days. Each day, the team has been sharing photos and videos of a two-wheeler, three-wheeler and other vehicles struggling due to these strips laid in various areas throughout the city.

It has been observed that the thick rumble strips have caused severe damage to many people including pregnant women, post-operative patients, ambulances, heart patients, senior citizens and many more.

The team claimed that for the last several months they have been campaigning for the removal of strips, but many are being laid on roads across the city which is turning dangerous. According to Indian Road Congress rules, each strip has to be 20-30 mm thick and 200-300 mm wide with a maximum of 6 strips in a set, but this has not been followed by the authorities.

Harsha, an expert and a member of Team Road Squad said that the rumble strips are speed-calming measures used worldwide in many developed countries as well, but there has been opposition from general public, aged people, motor enthusiasts worldwide. “Especially in developing countries like India where we have small-wheeled vehicles like autorickshaws, bikes and scooters, these strips if laid unscientifically can cause heavy damage to human health including the spine, elbows as well as health of the vehicles,” he added.

“With our continuous posts and other awareness, the civic body has taken a decision to remove rumble strips in May last year by giving contract to an agency. However, the number of strips has gone up. We have thousands of reposts, lakhs of views and have conducted several polls on social media, where 90 per cent netizens voted against it and said they are suffering,” said Harsha.

Asif Hussain Sohail, an activist said that earlier, former minister K T Rama Rao also instructed for the removal of strips and the Traffic police already wrote letters to GHMC for the removal of rumble strips, referring that motorists are suffering, but they had failed to remove them.