Of what use is a speed breaker that cannot be seen? On Ormes Road in Kilpauk, there are speed breakers that seem to do a chameleon? Without any markings, they are hardly distinguishable from the road, and motorists realise there is a speed breaker only when they hit one.
The stretch is poorly illuminated, which adds to the problem. In the case of motorcyclists, the combination of speed bumps without markings and poor illumination can prove lethal. The solution is simple: creating markings on the speed bumps.
Speed breakers of this kind opposite CSI Bain School are particularly dangerous for motorcyclists, as this is a busy section of Ormes Road and many motorcycle-riding parents are in a hurry to drop their children at the school. Besides the other key stretches in the neighbourhood, which include Dr. Alagappa Chetty Road, Barnaby Road, Kellys Road and Millers Road, Ormes Road ensures connectivity for residents in west and north-west of the city, helping them reach the rest of the city via Poonamallee High (PH) Road. And, Ormes Road has a distinct advantage over other key stretches in the region.
Unlike the other key stretches, which include Flower’s Road, Dr. Alagappa Chetty Road, Barnaby Road and Millers Road, Ormes Road is a two-way and there enables motorists from areas like Ayanavaram, Kellys, Purasawalkam and Otteri to reach PH Road easily. As a result, Ormes Road is busy through the day.
“Many overgrown trees along Ormes Road also block the street lights, resulting in poor illumination. Without any markings, we are unable to differentiate between the road and the speed breakers, and this has resulted in accidents,” said Mohammad Aslam, a motorist from Ayanavaram.
As Ormes Road is wide, motorists drive fast, and this reason they fail to notice the speed breakers on the stretch. “Motorcyclists taking this stretch driving at high speeds is not uncommon on this stretch. They don’t seem to care for the safety of school children; nor do they seem to notice the speed breakers,” said S. Kamala, a resident of Kilpauk.
