Citizen Connect: Motorists complain about too many ‘unnecessary’ speed breakers in Kolathur

Motorists taking Second Main Road and First Main Road at Venus Nagar in Kolathur are wary of too many newly-laid speed breakers in a small stretch. These speed breakers are too high and motorists who ply over them land with a discomfiting thud.

In the last two months, the Chennai Corporation has built over two dozen speed breakers on various roads at Lakshmipuram and Vinayagapuram. But, the Second Main Road and First Main Road at Venus Nagar stand out among other roads. These two roads act as a link road for the motorists residing at Lakshmipuram and Vinayagapuram to reach Jawaharlal Nehru Salai. 

“Eight speed breakers have been laid in these two roads in the last one month. A few of them were laid on the place where one existed before the relaying of the road. But others are new and totally unnecessary. We don’t know what is the logic of laying two speed breakers at a junction of a dead road on the first main road at Venus Nagar,” said P Raj, a resident of Teacher’s Colony.  He added that four speed breakers were laid simultaneously.

Another motorist, S Pandian complained that the speed breakers are poorly designed and very steep even though most of them have markings. According to IRC guidelines, a speed breaker should have a radius of 17m with a width of 3.7m and height of 0.1m. It is calculated to reduce the speed of vehicle to 25kmph. Organisations like Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) have also come up with a code for speed breakers at various junctions. “The height of the speed breakers varies, and some are very steep. One can the feel the impact of the drop even after slowing down,” he said.  

B Chandrababu, a resident of Lakshmipuram said that normally the speed breakers are laid at the junction of a busy road, but the corporation has laid a new speed bump in front of an apartment. “Will the corporation lay speed bumps in front of all the apartments?” he asked.

A corporation official said that speed breakers were laid following the complaints from residents over speeding vehicles and a fatal accident on Kadapa Road.