Hyderabad: The GHMC’s traffic and transport has been installing unscientific dividers which puts the safety of motorists at risk and makes difficult for pedestrians to cross roads. Citing this, the engineering wing in consultation with the traffic police has decided to conduct a comprehensive study to install scientific dividers.
The Indian Road Congress’ code puts the ideal height of a divider at 80 cm and width at 4 cm. It should be made of iron, steel and concrete and segregate vehicles running in both directions. This would also allow pedestrians to cross over.
Instead, the corporation has constructed central medians that are taller than four feet, which could claim the lives of motorists in a high speed crash, or leave them maimed. They also make it impossible for pedestrians to cross the road. The road dividers also violate the guidelines set by the Union urban affairs ministry, which says that central medians should be constructed on roads that are wider than 100 metres. As most of the city roads where below 80 feet the T&T wing following the instructions of traffic police have constructed central medians at their will when 95 per cent of the city roads were below 80 feet. GHMC has even constructed high rise dividers on city flyovers when they were only to prevent U turns on it.
A senior GHMC official said the height of the dividers were raised on the instructions of the traffic police, without consulting engineering experts. He said the traffic police had contended that taller dividers would discourage pedestrians from crossing the road and prevent accidents. “They did not realise that such dividers can claim the lives of motorists,” he said.
The official said the corporation would now construct the dividers based on necessity. “It would be a waste of public money. The corporation will embark on a study and install crash barriers, reduce the height of footpaths and use shock absorbing material to safeguard motorists.” He said the GHMC would install ‘pedestrian grills’ every 250 metres.
