Hyderabad: A series of speed breakers, called transverse bar markings, installed at four spots near the foot of LB Nagar flyover (Chintalkunta to Chaitanyapuri direction) are posing a risk to commuters.
The speed breakers, meant to curb over-speeding, have instead created chances for accidents. "I was unfamiliar with the road and out of the blue, I saw these speed breakers. I slowed down, but a car from behind hit my bike. We expect a traffic sign here, at the very least," said Praveen, a motorist.
Tejashwini, another commuter, stressed the discomfort these speed breakers cause. "One speed breaker gives too much of a jerk, but having a series of four-five speed breakers gives a huge jerk to the body," she said.
Several bikers have reported near-miss incidents due to transverse bars. "The other day, my bike almost skidded because of the excessive jerking there," said another commuter.
Health experts are voicing their concerns too.
Dr Sudhir Kumar, head of neurology at Apollo Hospitals, explained, "Such speed breakers negatively impact health as they cause heavy jerking in the body. With each jerk, there's wear and tear in the back, and nerve pinching can affect the spine."
He added that there is also an increased risk of accidents due to the continuous nature of the transverse bar markings.
Despite these concerns, GHMC officials defend the necessity of these transverse markings. According to a road engineer, the speed breakers were laid to avoid collision with the nearby Maisamma Temple.
"Initially, we planned to reconstruct the temple so it wouldn't interfere with the flyover. However, due to public sentiments, we couldn't proceed with the reconstruction and had to lay these transverse bar markings to avoid over-speeding," the engineer said.
He also assured that a safety audit was conducted before laying the transverse bar markings, each 5 mm in height.
As concern grows, motorist and road safety experts are urging the GHMC to provide proper signage to warn drivers in advance.
