Hyderabad citizens campaign against rumble strips; GHMC continues to lay new ones

Hyderabad: Citizens in Hyderabad are continuing their campaign to have rumble strips removed, reporting serious health and safety concerns. Despite the ongoing campaign, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has laid new rumble strips, further intensifying the issue. This has led to growing frustration among residents who argue that the rumble strips are causing physical harm and discomfort to daily commuters.

The "Remove Rumble Strips" campaign was initiated in April and has now reached its 245th day. Citizens are voicing their discontent, urging the GHMC to take action and remove the rumble strips. Many claim that the strips are contributing to back pain and spinal injuries, particularly for people driving two-wheelers. The rumble strips, designed to slow down traffic, are seen by many as an ineffective and harmful solution.

Riyaz (@Riyazuddin555) highlighted the issue on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he criticised the GHMC's decision to lay new rumble strips, especially in areas near IKEA, on the way to Thub road. Riyaz called the newly installed rumble strips the "thickest" in the entire city and pointed out the contradiction of continuing to lay such strips despite the ongoing agitation to remove the existing ones. He urged the GHMC to focus on laying speed breakers instead of rumble strips, suggesting that speed breakers would be more effective in controlling speeding vehicles without causing discomfort to drivers and riders.

The Team Road Squad admin expressed their disappointment with the GHMC's neglect of ground-level concerns. "Your intentions are right, but this is not the way. Rumble strips should be reasonably thin and suitable for our city's traffic conditions," they said.
Other residents have also shared their frustrations. Deva Raj, a local resident, mentioned that the rumble strips make it difficult to maintain control of the vehicle, especially for elderly individuals and those recovering from surgery. "Whenever I drive through these rumble strips, I feel like I'm losing grip," he said, noting the added risks for vulnerable road users.

Experts point out that the thickness of rumble strips should generally range from 20 to 30 mm, as per the Indian Road Congress (IRC) guidelines. The impact of the rumble strips is particularly harsh for two-wheelers, which have thinner tyres. Cars with thicker tyres are less affected. In addition to the physical discomfort, residents have raised concerns about the noise pollution caused by rumble strips in residential areas.

While rumble strips are commonly used to alert drivers to slow down and improve road safety, citizens are urging authorities to consider alternative measures, such as speed breakers, which they believe would be a safer and more effective solution for controlling traffic.