The Times of India        07.10.2014  

NDMC paints kerbs red & green

NEW
DELHI: New Delhi Municipal Council is painting the central verges red
and green in Lutyens’ Delhi. Recently, NDMC had put reflector strips
between every pair of kerbstones. But the reflector strips have started
coming off at several places. Road safety experts said that instead of
using reflector strips, the civic agency should use reflective paint as
it is easier to maintain.

The medians on Shahjahan Road have
been painted red and green. Sources say the strips were put after
objections from Delhi Traffic Police. When TOI visited the area on
Monday, many of these were dislodged. “We had told NDMC that they will
have to put reflector strips if they use any colour other than yellow,
white and black on medians. The idea behind painting medians is to make
the dividers discernible. The paint should reflect light,” said a
traffic official.

Though there is no standard colour
combination for medians, experts recommended reflective paints. They
said dark colours shouldn’t be used because they absorb light. “Civic
agencies can use any colour they like but it should be a reflective
paint. The purpose of painting road dividers is defeated otherwise.
What’s the point of painting dividers if they have to put reflector
strips,” said Rohit Baluja, president of Institute of Road Traffic
Education.

NDMC chairman Jalaj Shrivastava said, “We have used
colours of sandstone and greenery. We are putting reflector strips.” As
for reflector strips coming off, Shrivastava said he will get that
checked.

Sources said the agency plans to go ahead with the
red-and-green colour scheme. “We had conducted a trial run last year.
Now, it will be done in the entire Lutyens’ Delhi. We have decided to
put reflector strips everywhere,” said an official.

Maintenance
of reflector strips, experts said, is going to be a task. They stressed
the need to standardize colours that can be used for road signage and
warnings.