Rumble strips to be taken off Hyderabad roads

HYDERABAD: In great relief to motorists, nodal agencies have decided to remove rumble strips — also known as sleeping police — from the roads. Municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) minister K.T. Rama Rao has decided to stop the laying of rumble strips apart from instructing officials to repair those already laid which are above 5 mm.

The laying of a rumble strips began during 2019 after accidents on the city flyovers. The state government constituted a four-member committee to provide recommendations to prevent accidents.

The committee, after studying the Biodiversity flyover, suggested building an errant vehicle restraint, signs indicating carriageway reduction and merging traffic ahead. The pavement markings at merging points which were found improperly done and the speed limit markings on the flyover were found to be staggered.

Finally, the committee noted that the warning sign of rumble strip ahead and go-slow sign was not of prescribed standard. The same were provided as per the IRC Code.

Citing this suggestion, multiple agencies including the GHMC, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) and Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited (HRDCL) laid unscientific rumble strips defying the norms. As per norms, rumble strips should not exceed 5 mm in height and most of the rumble strips laid in the city which are back breaking to commuters especially to the two wheelers.

This created a huge public outcry forcing MA&UD minister Rama Rao to instruct the city departments to stop laying rumble strips and immediately remove wherever there are unscientific rumble strips, specifically at the IT Corridors.

A senior MA&UD official told Deccan Chronicle that the city departments were asked to stop further laying of rumble strips with immediate effect. He said that rumble strips at roads leading to Sharath City Mall would be removed immediately by the TSIIC.

The official said orders were given to remove unscientific rumble strips by hiring a private consultancy and remove them scientifically or else the road would be damaged creating potholes and craters. "Official communication was made to all the city departments in this regard," he added.