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Eateries delay the journey to Mysore

A BM team counted 86 speed breakers on the 140-km route — all built in violation to highway norms. As many as 38 humps dot the 50-km stretch from Maddur to Srirangapatna that is lined with eateries, cafes and other outlets. No wonder who are benefitting from this slowdown

Gautam C & Nischith N
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Posted On Monday, July 08, 2013 at 01:35:29 AM

The 140-km drive from Bangalore to Mysore takes a tiring and trying 3.5 to four hours on weekends, thanks to the plethora of speed breakers that have cropped up over the past few years along the highway. Not only are the humps unscientifically designed and hazardous to motorists, they also seem to have sprung up in direct proportion to the growing number of food outlets along the way. 

 
A test drive along the favourite route of week-end travellers revealed as many as 86 speed breakers, all of them laid unscientifically. Of the 86, as many as 38 are located along the 50-km stretch between Maddur and Srirangapatna. Interestingly, the stretch is dotted with eateries, coffee shops and other outlets. 
 
Not only is the design of the humps in violation of Indian Road Congress (IRC) norms, they also flout the IRC rule that there should not by any speed breakers on highways provided the stretch does not pass through village or town limits. 
 
Officials of Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) and PWD maintain that the speed breakers are necessary for preventing accidents and to check overspeeding, but there are just 10 signboards along the way to alert drivers to their existence. Interestingly, every speed breaker seems to have a shape and size unique to itself!
 
Driving back from Mysore to Bangalore, we counted 88 of the bone-shakers. 
 
Doctors and physiotherapists have a word of caution for people driving on the stretch. Dr M C Prakash, neurosurgeon at Hosmat, said, “Negotiating several speed breakers during a single trip heightens the risk of cervical and lumbar spondylosis among travellers, especially those who sit in an unscientific way. This apart, injuries like slipped disc or ligament and mascular tears can also occur. The frequent use of clutch and brakes and the resultant shock after hitting the humps might lead to knee or ankle fractures.”
 
According to sources, most of the humps between Maddur and Srirangapatna have been laid to ‘accommodate’ commercial interests. “Be it tourist spots or eateries or coffee shops, most of them are located between these two towns. These speed breakers serve the ‘purpose’ well -- the prolonged slow movement of vehicles makes travellers want to take a break and they often pull up at these joints for a snack, drink or stroll. This apart, even if an accident occurs near any village, speed breakers are laid to appease the villagers, thus adding to the travel time of motorists on the stretch,” said a senior police official from Mandya.
 
Sources said the stretch between Maddur and Mysore comes under the PWD while the Bangalore to Maddur stretch is looked after by KRDCL. Explaining the official position, PWD executive engineer (Mandya division) Kumar said, “The main objective of the humps is to alert drivers to approaching village limits – there are around 48 villages between Maddur and Srirangapatna. There has been intense pressure from the villagers to lay humps, coupled with orders from the higher-ups. But in the backdrop of increased accidents, we have requested the Mandya SP to review the requirement for speed breakers. Hopefully, within a month we will be able to take out 10 to 15 humps that are found unnecessary.”
 
R Srinivas, MD of KRDCL, said, “We look after the stretch between Bangalore and Maddur. We are aware of the IRC stipulations that there should not be any speed breakers on highways. But the humps we have laid have followed requests by the police department and people through their elected representatives.”
 
Keeping in mind the increasing number of accidents, the police are working on making the stretch ‘friendlier’ for both locals and motorists. Mandya SP Borase Bhushan Gulabrao said, “Accidents could be because of reckless driving or because of unscientific humps. But irrespective of that, we have decided to give the existing speed breakers a scientific makeover in collaboration with PWD officials. I have held several meetings with them in this regard. Apart from painting the humps in white reflective colours, we will install cat’s eyes that are visible both during the day and night and flashing traffic lights near city/town limits. This will be not only for the highway stretch but for the entire district. I have sent a detailed proposal to the government and have requested more funds.”