Unscientific humps on state highways to be removed: Karnataka minister

BENGALURU: Public works department minister CC Patil said on Monday he would instruct all deputy commissioners and superintendents of police to remove unscientific and unnecessary humps or raised pedestrian crossings on state highways.
He gave this assurance in the assembly after members from across party lines, including speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, criticised his department for causing inconvenience to motorists by constructing poorly planned humps.
In its reply to a question raised by Congress MLA KR Ramesh Kumar, the state government said that 70 out of 84 humps created on the 83-km highway stretch between Mulbagalu and Chikkaballapur were unscientific. It also revealed that there were 33 raised pedestrian crossings on a 52-km stretch between Hoskote and Madikeri Cross.
“Going by the government’s reply, it’s clear that there is a hump every kilometre. If this is the situation, what is the point in building highways? Who is responsible for these unscientific elements? The government must suspend the officers responsible,” Ramesh Kumar said.
Kageri and BJP member KG Bopaiah also expressed displeasure. “Officials are heeding to the demands of locals and laying humps without applying their mind. Instead of creating awareness among locals about the rules, they are shifting the responsibility on elected representatives and making us villains in the eyes of the public,” Kageri said.
Patil said that the practice of creating raised points on highways had been in existence for a long time and suspending officials was not the answer to the problem.
Fixing responsibility
The reply irked Kumar. “If our concerns are not addressed and erring officials are not punished, why should MLAs raise issues of public interest in the House. Either you give a concrete assurance or I will not only withdraw my question but never ask any question in future,” he said.