Unmarked and unsafe: Doon’s speed breaker menace

Dehradun: Across the city, hundreds of roads tell the same story: unmarked speed breakers, open manholes and missing drain covers that injure commuters almost daily and have yet to be audited by any civic authority, claim Dehradun residents.

The consequences are not abstract. Sanjay Thapa, a resident of Dharampur, said the unmarked speed breakers in his area have become a regular danger. “At night or during rain, they are invisible until you are right on top of them. The jolt is so violent it causes severe back and neck injuries and is especially dangerous for senior citizens and pregnant women,” he said.

Auto driver Mohit Bisht, who navigates routes across Sahastradhara Road, Nehru Colony, Raipur Road and Paltan Bazaar daily, said the damage is both physical and financial. “I am suffering from chronic back pain from navigating these roads, and the constant thudding is breaking our autos’ suspension. We are forced to spend our hard-earned money on repairs constantly. If the administration doesn’t flatten or properly mark these breakers soon, we won’t be able to drive here at all,” he said.

Indian Roads Congress norms cap speed breakers at 10 cm, require them only on minor roads, and mandate black-and-white painted bands with a warning sign placed 40 m in advance.

SDC Foundation founder Anoop Nautiyal pointed to a stubborn pattern of institutional inaction. He noted that accidents caused by these unmarked speed breakers and faulty manholes recur every few months, each time sparking a wave of public outrage that eventually fizzles out without any official response.

“Who is to blame for these issues?” Nautiyal asked, emphasising that a complete lack of administrative accountability sits at the very heart of the problem.

SP (Traffic) Lokjeet Singh said the responsibility for addressing road hazards depends on which authority holds jurisdiction over the stretch in question, and that public complaints play a key role in bringing such concerns to the attention of the relevant body.