Sir,

In an age where nations are building smart cities, designing roads with decades-long lifespans, and using advanced traffic management systems, one must ask: Are unscientific road bumps and haphazard barriers really the best solutions our authorities can come up with to manage traffic?

Across several parts of our city, these bumps and barriers seem to be appearing overnight, often without proper markings, measurements, or planning. Instead of easing traffic flow, they are doing the opposite — slowing down movement, creating bottlenecks, and in some cases, causing more accidents than they prevent.

An unmarked speed bump in the middle of a busy stretch not only jolts vehicles but also increases the risk for two-wheeler riders and elderly commuters. Similarly, unscientific road barriers often block more road space than needed, choke intersections, and force sudden lane changes — leading to chaos rather than order.

Around the world, well-planned roads and efficient traffic systems are delivering smoother travel, less congestion, and longer road life. Here, the authorities concerned seem content with patchwork measures that solve nothing and steadily make the problem worse.

This reflects not only poor planning but also the unwillingness of the authorities to implement sustainable, well-engineered solutions for the public good.

— An aggrieved commuter, Mysuru, 8.8.2025

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