VIP Rd gets rumble strips to curb speeding, accidents
Times of India | 11 January 2025
12 Kolkata: In the wake of an accident that claimed the life of an app biker earlier this week, rumble strips were installed on VIP Road to stop overtaking and accidents. As of now, rumble strips have been installed on both Ultadanga-bound and airport-bound service roads of VIP Road and at the airport-bound flank of VIP Road near Kestopur crossing.
Officials claimed they installed "traffic-calming" features like the 10mm high rumble strips since speed bumps can't be installed along the corridor. "VIP Road is a VIP corridor where we can't install speed breakers. We tried to control speed here by putting up guard rails in a zigzag manner and installing traffic blinker lights. But accidents still continue to take place. Hence, we are attempting this new measure. If it works, such rumble strips will be installed at other places as well," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar Traffic Police.
Rumble strips not only reduce head-on collisions and improve lane discipline, the noise and vibration created by rumbles alert drowsy drivers. It is also inexpensive to install and easy to maintain.
On Monday, a 33-year-old app bike rider was killed and a 28-year-old Sector V employee riding pillion was seriously injured when a private bus hit the motorcycle on VIP Road at the Narayanpur crossing. The accident sparked a violent protest by residents who ransacked the vehicle, claiming the DN-16 bus from Barasat to Dhamakhali was competing with an L-238 Barasat-Howrah bus.