Barricades proving to be a bane for motorists on highways

Unscientific steel barricades on highways around Tiruchi pose danger to motorists, raising questions on road safety measures.

The Police Department’s “unscientific practice” of placing temporary steel barricades along State and National Highways is proving to be more of a bother for motorists traversing the stretches around Tiruchi.

While police justify such measures on grounds of road safety, questions are being raised over the efficacy of the tall and heavy steel barricades that are placed in zig-zag patterns. The barricades are not only being used within city limits, but also on most of all major highways without cautionary signals, often forcing motorists unfamiliar with the terrain to brake hard dangerously.

The barricades are ubiquitous on highways connecting Tiruchi to Karur, Pudukottai and Thanjavur. On Tiruchi-Karur highway, most of the barricades were placed based on the demands of local residents, who faced difficulties in crossing the highway due to over speeding by motorists, points out P. Ayyarappan, a resident of Allur, situated off the highway, and president of Road Users Welfare Association.

Most of the barricades on Tiruchi-Karur highway were placed after the widening of Tiruchi-Thindukarai stretch. The 11-km stretch, which runs between the Cauvery and Tiruchi-Karur railway line, was widened over a year ago following persistent demands from residents and motorists. The road, with sharp and dangerous curves, was widened from its earlier width of seven metres to up to 10.5 metres. Yet, accidents continue on the road as vehicles traverse at high speed now. A couple of days ago, a 38-year-old labourer of Pettavaithalai died after his motorbike hit a barricade near Perugamani.

Very often, accidents occur when vehicles vie with each other to get across the barricades, which frequently get pushed aside and out of position after being hit by heavy vehicles such as sand-laden lorries.

Though Mr. Ayyarappan feels that accidents have come down at bus stops where the barricades have been placed to help people safely cross over on Karur highway, he concedes that such measures can only be a temporary solution to check over-speeding. “It is time the authorities explored more scientific and technology-based solutions to enforce speed limits. Speed guns and cameras could be installed on highways to strictly enforce speed limits,” he says

Motorists say the barricades, if at all necessary, should be placed at strategic locations only after a thorough study of the road conditions and engineering at specific stretches and with adequate precautionary signage.