The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the State Government to ensure strict compliance with the revised guidelines on the construction of speed breakers and to bring all existing installations in line with the updated standards. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Ravi Cheemalapati observed that any new guidelines issued either by the Central Government or the Indian Road Congress (IRC) must be followed in both letter and spirit. The Court further directed that a circular be issued to all concerned authorities mandating not only adherence to the new specifications but also rectification of existing speed breakers to conform with them.
The order was passed in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Thandava Yogesh, who contended that speed breakers on roads other than National Highways were being constructed in violation of the standards prescribed by the IRC and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. As per these guidelines, speed breakers must have a minimum width of 3.7 meters, height of 10 cm, and radius of 17 meters, in addition to being painted with reflective material for visibility. The PIL highlighted that non-compliance posed a serious safety hazard, particularly for two-wheeler riders, and contributed to a significant number of road fatalities each year.
The Court was informed that a memo dated 25.02.2025 had earlier been issued by the Chief Engineer (R&B), SH & Managing Director, APRDC, Vijayawada, directing officials to identify illegal or defective speed breakers on State Highways, Major District Roads, and Other District Roads, and to either remove or rectify them in accordance with IRC standards. However, as the specifications had subsequently been revised, the Bench directed that all future constructions and existing installations must strictly comply with the updated guidelines.
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