Of uneven Rawalpindi road humps and speed breakers

Motorists and bikers in Rawalpindi city may have mastered the skill of crossing over road humps. But they are now facing much more critical challenge on the city's roads in the shape of unplanned, jerky and unscientific road dividers.

More or less every motorist has had bad experience about road dividers. A four-wheeler passing through Gulzar-e-Quaid bumped into a stone block detached from the road hump. These detached blocks can hardly be seen in the night.

“I had a miraculous escape on the same road when my bike hit a haphazardly lying stone slab, which previously served as road divider and now left unwanted,” says Asiq Hussain, a private company employee.

“Road divider menace is not confined to places where there is a two-way traffic. Motorists are facing the same problem on one-way roads as well,” says Abbas Haider, a doctor. “At times because of pitch darkness on the roads one cannot see the hump. On several roads no markings have been put up as indicators. But one can hardly make out their presence in the dark,” says Safdar Ali, a student.

“The speed breakers are proving more of a bane than a boon. Initially constructed to slow the traffic, they are turning into a major traffic chaos makers. It's a classic case of the solution turning into a big problem,” says Hasan Nisar, a factory owner.

Qaim Naqvi, a wholesaler, says: “On many busy roads stretches the speed breakers have in effect led to traffic congestion. A majority of traffic humps are unlawful and need to go. Many officials do not recommend humps as it is dangerous for motorists. If at all, they are suited on minor rather than major roads.”

“There are too many humps in the city and 80 per cent are without markings. Because of lack of visibility, I have gone over the humps at the same speed and once I even badly fell. Luckily, there was no major injury,” says Manazar Ali, a government employee.

“These speed-breakers are uneven and not proper in size. Four-wheelers with low floors get damaged because of these humps,” says Naseem Taqi, a motorist. “There was a speed-breaker close to my shop. In a week, at least four two-wheeler riders fell down since the hump was too much high,” says Shakir Hussain, a chemist.

“One night, when my bike got very close to Al-Falah Bank on Dhoke Hafiz service road, I saw the hump since it had not been painted. I tried to apply the brakes but it was too late. I fell, injuring my face, hands and legs. I spent Rs20,000 and nearly three months to recover fully.”