The Indian Express               28.06.2013

MC looks at paved paths to save city roundabouts

Roundabouts in the city suffer extensive damage due to
rashly driven vehicles hitting them with the reflectors installed on
them proving to be of little help.

Municipal Corporation officials state that they saw a similar
initiative in Delhi. To implement the proposal, the size of the traffic
circles will have to be reduced by 6 feet. A structure, similar to a
footpath, will be created around them and will be raised from the
ground. Tiles and curb channels will complete the paved paths.

“The number of vehicles hitting roundabouts increases
during the rains and foggy conditions when visibility is reduced.
Repairs are conducted by the civic body on its own. At times vehicles
are driven so rashly that it becomes difficult for the driver to gain
control at the roundabouts,” said an MC official.

The civic body’s Roads Committee has approved an amount of
Rs 3.79 lakh for the project. If it is successful, the Municipal
Corporation will replicate it at other places in the city as well. The
Municipal Corporation had earlier proposed that a fine should be imposed
on people who hit the roundabouts; these traffic signals are an
integral part of the city’s design.

They were constructed to ensure smooth flow of traffic but
with vehicular traffic rapidly increasing, several experiments have
been conducted to prevent chaos at roundabouts; traffic lights have been
installed at most of them.

An initiative was undertaken to increase the circulation
area of the roundabouts to give more space for vehicles to pass. More
recently rumble strips have been installed at a roundabout with the aim
of giving way to slow moving traffic. The initiative has caused problems
for traffic movement with accidents taking place.