Commuters in Hyderabad raise alarm over thick rumble strips

Multiple sets of rumble strips, reportedly thicker than required, have prompted motorists to question their installation logic, citing discomfort, safety risks, and potential vehicle damage.

Hyderabad: In Hyderabad, the proliferation of thick rumble strips has emerged as a significant concern for commuters, igniting debates over their necessity and potential health hazards.

Multiple sets of rumble strips, reportedly thicker than required, have prompted motorists to question their installation logic, citing discomfort, safety risks, and potential vehicle damage.

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Harsha, who manages the Team Road Squad page on Twitter, has been at the forefront of raising concerns regarding rumble strips for nearly a month. “Vibrations affect vehicles differently.

Please heed this request from the public and reassess the issue,” Harsha urged while tagging Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials, echoing the sentiments of many affected commuters. “The rumble strips cause excessive vibration and discomfort. Even driving at 40 km/h feels like hitting rocks.”

Commuters express worry about the excessive thickness of the rumble strips, likening them to those found on highways but notably thicker. They fear continued use could lead to vehicle and suspension damage.

One commuter shared a frightening experience of witnessing a concrete mixer wobble dangerously due to the rumble strips, highlighting the potential dangers, particularly for motorcycles.

While rumble strips aim to alert inattentive drivers of potential danger, commuters argue they have become more of a nuisance. Regular travelers on the Durgam Cheruvu cable bridge describe it as a nightmare due to continuous sets of rumble strips.

Similar concerns have been raised in various areas across the city, including PVNR Expressway, Habsiguda, Mehdipatnam, and Indian School of Business (ISB) road.
A resident of Dilsukhnagar remarked, “on the less than half-kilometer stretch from Malakpet to Dilsukhnagar, there are continuous rumble strips within short gaps, in addition to speed breakers. For people with lower back pain, and especially for pregnant women, it’s hell.”

According to guidelines from the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), rumble strips on National and State Highways should have a height of 20-30 mm, with no more than six strips at each location. In urban areas, the height should not exceed 5 mm, based on necessity. However, commuters argue that the strips in the city are higher, posing potential risks to spinal health.

Lokendra Singh, a road safety activist, expressed, “The thickness of rumble strips must be reduced. They are excessively thick, and I believe they are unscientific. In Raidurgam, while traveling from T-HUB towards the Wells Fargo side of Khajaguda, there are at several strips at the curve.

After former Minister KT Rama Rao alerted the officials concerned, they reduced the thickness. Rumble strips have been installed at regular intervals in the city, which is not an ideal solution. Even vehicle suspensions suffer damage.”