Vehicles negotiate speedbreakers near Golghar in Patna. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Nov. 18: Infringing on the rights of commuters, the state road construction department has laid 12 speedbreakers near Rajkiya Kanya Uchchya Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Bankipore.

According to the department, the speedbreakers have been laid to prevent accidents near the school.

The speedbreakers have been separated by a few metres on both sides of the main gate of the school near Golghar in the Gandhi Maidan area.

Road construction department secretary Pratyaya Amrit told The Telegraph: “The department is conscious about road safety. Roads have been constructed and the priority is now on safety. Precautionary measures would be implemented not only on roads in towns but also on highways. These include reflectors, road markings, rumble strips, signboards with “Kripya dheere chalein (please go slow) written on them, would be introduced.”

The school authorities said that the students found it extremely difficult to negotiate the traffic while crossing the road. Recently, a schoolgirl was killed in an accident in front of St Xavier’s School, around 50m southeast of Rajkiya Kanya Uchchya Madhyamik Vidyalaya.

Everyday, heavy traffic greets schoolchildren in the morning and in the evening when they head home.

The newly laid speedbreakers have further worsened the situation and the traffic has almost come to a standstill. Prashant Kumar, who takes the Ashok Rajpath, the road in front of the school, said: “The 12 speedbreakers are irritating. If at all the authorities wanted to lay bumpers and put a check on the speed of the vehicles, it could have been done with just one or two speedbreakers. This has compounded to our daily problem. First, the traffic and now the bumpers. If things continue like this I will have to take another route.”

Amrit, however, differed and said: “Road safety near educational institutions and hospitals is our topmost priority. Roads falling under the jurisdiction of the road construction department would witness the road-safety measures. This would ensure the safety of the children, parents and patients visiting the schools and the hospitals. Moreover, traffic constables would not be required all the time to man the school and hospital areas.”