New speed bumps on Rajshahi highways pose potential danger

In the wake of ongoing student protests for safe roads in the country, the government has taken an initiative to install 25 speed breakers on highways in Rajshahi which in fact, according to experts, could take more lives than they would probably save.

Within a night, the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) built four speed bumps on Rajshahi-Naogaon highway in Nowdapara and Shalbagan areas on Friday.

RCC will construct 19 more speed breakers, near all schools and colleges in the city, said its chief engineer Ashraful Haque.

Roads and Highways Department (RHD) started constructing two more on Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj highway in Kadipara on Saturday, following a fresh “government directive”.

However, installing the new speed breakers is a violation of the National Road Safety Strategic Action Plan of 2011-13, according to which, all speed breakers on highways, except for those laid on both sides of level crossings and risky bridges, are unauthorised and should be removed.

Suniti Chakma, RHD executive engineer in Rajshahi division, told The Daily Star that they were installing the speed breakers on Rajshahi-Natore, Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi-Naogaon highways following a recent government directive to check road accidents.

Officials of RHD and RCC said they were aware of the road safety action plan but they were verbally instructed by the deputy commissioner of Rajshahi on Thursday to take immediate measures in this regard.

Contacted, SM Abdul Kader, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi, sidestepped the question how and from whom he had received the government order. “We are constructing speed breakers in front of all schools and colleges to ensure students' safety,” he said.

“This is a whimsical decision. Speed breakers should be installed only at designated locations and after proper assessment. Otherwise, the road safeguards will turn out to be death traps for people,” said a government official, seeking anonymity.

“Many people without proper knowledge on the functions and necessity of speed bumps demand them. We have to wait for some days before and after painting each speed bump. But, meanwhile, vehicles keep plying the thoroughfares. As a result, unmarked speed bumps take more lives,” he added.

On the other hand, heavy and overloaded vehicles frequently brake before random speed bumps on highways which damage the road within a short span of time.

“More than speed breakers, we need professional drivers to check reckless driving as well as road accidents,” the official noted further.

“We are often instructed to remove all the speed breakers from highways whenever the prime minister or any other Very Very Important Person (VVIP) visits Rajshahi,” mentioned an RHD official.

The Rajshahi-Natore highway had at least 45 speed breakers till 2013. But all those were removed prior to the visit of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in September 2013 to ensure a smooth journey, he said.

If necessary, rumble strips should be installed on highways, not speed breakers, he said, adding that the highway in Natore already has 14 rumble strips.