No funds for shoddy dividers

The faulty road dividers on city roads may be causing death and injuries practically every day but it seems they are here to stay. The
cash-strapped Nagpur Municipal Corporation says it does not have funds to install reflectors on them or even paint the road dividers to make them a bit more visible to the drivers in the night.

Road dividers on several city roads have been blamed for spate of accidents, especially at night when drivers tend to be blinded by headlights of oncoming vehicles. Dividers especially on West High Court road (Dharampeth), Gangabhai Ghat road, near Rahate Colony square, on Sitabuldi flyover from Rahate Colony square and the Chattrapati Nagar flyover have become a virtual death traps for road-users. TOI recently highlighted the danger that the road dividers on most of these roads are posing without any reflectors.

Cars driving up the dividers, two wheelers colliding with them, and cars even getting overturned are common occurrences. These have, on occasions, resulted in people losing life. The NMC authorities, however, remain unmoved.

A senior NMC official told TOI, "there is no budgetary provision for maintenance of dividers including their painting, installation of reflectors etc. The higher authorities have directed the traffic department to go for the pending maintenance work and do not start new works."

"Considering the increasing population and vehicular traffic, the civic body this year has proposed installation of signals, blinkers, closed circuit TV cameras and area traffic control system for better traffic flow. This projects will require an investment of Rs 6.05 crore," the official added.

Further, as per guidelines of urban development ministry, the civic body has planned to form a separate dedicated 'Urban Transport Fund' at the city level. Works to be carried out under this head include overhead signage system, separate arrangement for parking lots and creating parking facility. Civic body expected the Urban Transport Fund to be around Rs 24.87 crore this year, the official added.

However, remodelling the dividers to make them of standard design, making them more visible by painting them, or otherwise making them less hazardous does not figure in the priority list of NMC. Drivers in city have no choice for now other than being very, very careful on stretches that have badly put up dividers.