Now, find info about speed breakers in Pune on GPS apps

The road department and traffic management department decided at this meeting to map speed breakers (Where) on Google Maps in the form of an application

To assist residents and the government, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has opted to include speed breakers information on Google Maps in the form of an application.

mproving road safety and ensuring reduction in roadside accidents is a matter of top concern for PMC. (HT PHOTO)

Aniruddha Pawaskar, PMC department head superintendent, other road department officials, and traffic planning department officials met last week to discuss model roads, traffic management, and speed breakers.

The road department and traffic management department decided at this meeting to map speed breakers (Where) on Google Maps in the form of an application.

Improving road safety and ensuring reduction in roadside accidents is a matter of top concern for PMC. Speed breakers are one the most important safety measures, however, many of them are being installed by concerned PMC engineers without complying with standards prescribed by the Indian Road Congress.

According to PMC’s road department, the city has over 2,500 speed breakers of various sizes and patterns. All speed breaker information will be shared with GPS companies so that commuters may pinpoint the exact placement of speed breakers on specific roadways. It will help to avoid accidents, maintain vehicle speed, and reduce bumpy rides for drivers.

PMC traffic planner Nikhil Mijar stated, that during the meeting, the civic body came up with the idea of sharing information with navigation companies.

“Currently, the majority of rental car services use GPS technology to determine where to drop a client. Aside from that, most high-end vehicles include built-in GPS systems as well. We will relay the information to Google because the majority of users use their application.”

“The PMC has a role in constructing speed breakers after obtaining permission from the Traffic Police Department,” he explained. They provide us with the location and type, and we build the speed breakers accordingly.”

In response to the news, Sadashiv Peth resident Mahesh Awate stated, “Most people use Google Maps or Apple Maps for navigation; if the PMC shares speed breaker information, it will help commuters adjust the speed, of their vehicles, and avoid accidents. It’s an innovative step by the PMC.”

Prashant Inamdar, the convener of the NGO ‘Pedestrian First,’ stated, “The PMC had formed a committee of five experts, including myself. We had insisted on a “traffic calming policy,” with speed breakers playing an important role. However, the civic body never took our recommendations into account. The PMC is not concerned about the safety of citizens.”

He further said, that in 2017, road safety experts had suggested that information related to speed breakers be provided to GPS companies to help drivers know their exact location on city roads. However, to date, the scheme is still on paper and now the authorities have decided to map the speed breakers.