Geotag speed breakers, file status report before January 25: HC to traffic police

NEW DELHI: Speed breakers, both authorised and unauthorised, on Delhi roads must be geotagged and their location marked by GPS, the Delhi high court on Wednesday told the traffic police.

The direction was among several issued by a Bench of justices B D Ahmed and Jayant Nath for ensuring that all the speed breakers on city roads conform to the guidelines as framed by the Indian Road Congress (IRC) and the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC).

The Bench directed the traffic police to file a status report before January 25, the next date of hearing, regarding the work done to create a data base of each speed breaker with its exact location.

The Bench also asked the authorities to make the public aware that if they need a speed breaker they have to approach the traffic police and not take law into their hands by making one themselves

The court directed the authorities, including the traffic police, municipal corporations and the public works department to ensure that signages regarding speed breakers and u-turns are put “to warn drivers” in advance and “aid in reducing accidents”.

It also asked the authorities to make the public aware that if they need a speed breaker they have to approach the traffic police and not take law into their hands by making one themselves. The civic bodies were also told that where they feel a speed breaker is required they need to inform the traffic police about the location and it will in turn independently consider whether a speed breaker was needed.

The court was hearing two PILS filed against unauthorised construction of speed breakers on city roads without complying with the guidelines of IRC and UTTIPEC.

During the hearing, it noted that substantial work has been done to remove unauthorised speed breakers but “more needs to be done” to make them conform to the norms and directed the authorities to complete the work within four weeks.