Five accidents in a month that left two cars & one e-rickshaw permanently damaged & killed three innocent stray dogs. These are the statistics of neither an expressway nor a national highway nor a state highway nor even a city road. These are the statistics of a Wishtown internal road.
A few months ago, soon after the visit of Manoj Gaur, Jaypee Group executive chairman, all speed breakers were removed from the internal roads & replaced by barricades. Today, these roads have a speed limit only on paper.
FMG/ Security don’t have the ability to implement it. Being a private township, neither Noida Traffic Police nor its speed cameras is stationed inside. Thrill seekers rapidly accelerate & test out the top speed of their cars & bikes on the roads where children & residents cycle & senior citizens walk.
“While walking at 11 PM, we saw two cars racing at a high speed from Axis Bank till the turn near PH1. This is a daily practice.”, says Rishi, a resident. “By removing speed breakers, we are risking a major accident. It is fun for a few. For others, it’s a matter of life. Many strays have been hit by reckless driving. If speed breakers are not installed, we should be ready for more accidents & this kind of horrific driving. Wishtown has become a Budh International Circuit racing track.”, says Swati, another resident.
It’s not just at night that the high-speed driving menace rears its head. Mornings, supposed to be a peaceful time, when senior citizens are out for their walks, have become a stressful time. “The other day, at the cut near KT16, a car full of drunk people stopped & said nasty things. Before I could retort, they sped off at high-speed.”, says Tanya Jaleel (PH1).
“School buses are speeding to make up time. There have been close calls, especially near the barriers.”, she adds. Based on what research did FMG/ Jaypee take the call to remove the speed breakers & put our lives at risk?
I’ve visited multiple townships & housing societies in NCR. Wishtown is the only one without speed breakers. Even Noida Authority has installed speed breakers outside major society entry gates, be it ATS Greens Village, ATS One Hamlet, Parsvnath Silver City, Omaxe Forest Spa etc.
Are FMG & Jaypee waiting for a child/ senior citizen’s life to be lost before bringing back the speed breakers? While there are residents who found the speed breakers an inconvenience, let me remind them that in a township, internal road safety is paramount.
If you’re getting late, leave early. Driving slowly, within the speed limit, causes no issue when driving over speed breakers. I know because I’ve a 75-year-old mother, an 82-year-old father & a Ford EcoSport notorious for its hard suspension at low speeds.
I’ve driven for 15+ years in NCR & know well that leaving 10 minutes before you need to leave covers any exigencies & helps you drive within limits. Consider this an appeal to everyone! Let’s come together on this matter.
Let’s take back our roads. Let’s put convenience aside for safety. Let’s force FMG & Jaypee to bring back the speed breakers & stop putting our lives at risk.
by Debabrata Das (PH-1/ 1708)
