28-05-2025
A bumpy ride: Chennai's speed breakers break more than just speed
For P. Saravanan, a person with disability and a member of the Social Justice Movement, navigating his vehicle over the speedbreakers in Kaladipettai under Tiruvottiyur Zone is a source of physical pain, on a daily basis. His struggle is far from isolated as several residents have complained about speedbreakers that flout the design standards of Indian Road Congress (IRC) across the city.
As per IRC 1988, speedbreakers should be 3.7 metres wide and 10 centimetres high with a 17 metre radius hump, designed for 25 km/h speeds, and marked with reflective thermoplastic paint and warning signs placed in advance. Further, the IRC 2018 adds that placement, gradient, material, and signage are crucial for effectiveness.
Here's a look at the guidelines under the Indian Roads Congress:
According to Indian Roads Congress IRC 99-2018 (
The degree of the effect of the humps in terms of speed reduction depends upon the profile, height, gradient, length… — R Aishwaryaa (@AishRavi64) February 28, 2024
'The thin rubber-plastic speedbreaker installed two months ago by the Greater Chennai Corporation in Tiruvottiyur is the toughest to negotiate. Yet, it has not been removed despite repeated complaints,' he said.
Earlier in May, in Anna Main road of K.K. Nagar, a 22-year-old pregnant woman sustained severe injuries after falling from a two-wheeler, as her husband, who was riding the vehicle, failed to notice a speedbreaker there.
Meera Ravikumar, a social activist in Adyar, said that few speedbreakers in Gandhi Nagar under Ward 173 are taller than 10 cm and cause back pain for those forced to frequently pass by them. 'Many are yet to be painted with reflective thermoplastic paint for better visibility at night. The rubber-plastic speedbreaker found in Kastuba Nagar is very uncomfortable for two-wheeler and bicycle riders,' she said.
P. Arunkumar, 39, of Manali, stated that in Kannadasan Nagar, emulsion paint was used on a speedbreaker instead of reflective thermoplastic paint, making markings fade quickly, which lead to minor accidents, especially at night when visibility is low. He said that in areas like Korukkupet, speedbreakers are abruptly laid without a smooth transition from the road.
Prabhu Krishnamoorthy of M.K.B. Nagar said there are over 10 unmarked speedbreakers on the road between Basin Bridge and Madhavaram, and stretches from Kasimedu to Ennore and Moolakadai to Kavangarai had over 30 unmarked humps.
According to a recent complaint submitted by civic activist Balaji Gopalan, speedbreakers in Wards 149 and 150 violate many IRC norms. He said that when a hump in Ward 151 exceeding 10 cm height, was flagged via the Chief Minister's grievance cell, the GCC responded that it was within standards, though it was visibly too high. He added that an RTI filed over eight months ago, seeking details on the number of faulty speedbreakers in the city and action taken against officials responsible, remains unanswered.
According to the audit conducted in June and July 2024 by 1000 volunteers of NGO Arappor Iyakkam, 201 of the surveyed speed breakers in 467 spots across the city, including those under Greater Chennai Corporation, Iyyapanthangal, Agaramthen and Thiruneermalai, do not meet IRC regulations.
A senior official said little progress was made since February, when 41 speed breakers in Teynampet, Royapuram, and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar Zones, 29 in Kodambakkam Zone, and 20 in Adyar Zone were corrected ensuring proper height and reflective paint marking, after the speedbreaker committee met with Greater Chennai Traffic Police personnel. No further meetings have been held since, he added.
GCC Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran stated that nearly 2,000 speedbreakers in the city were identified as not conforming to IRC norms across the city and were taken up for correction before heavy rains hit in 2024. He added that another corrective drive can be undertaken to address the pending issues as raised by commuters.
