Barricaded!

BARRICADED

Vizag police have been barricading our roads for more than a decade. When NH5 was made to run through the populated parts of the city, many people trying to cross the road from the populated areas on either side would get hit by speeding vehicles. It would be proper at that time to make several pedestrian underpass or overbridges. But that did not happen as there was no money with the NHAI to do this type of work. So CMR started advertising on barricades which were placed on certain sections which would slow down traffic and provide cover long enough for pedestrians to scurry across the road.

Later the police started saying that these barricades were put up to slow down fleeing Naxalites, making a gateway from the city, say after robbing a bank or a police armoury. Eventually, this theory was jettisoned. And a new explanation was offered saying that it reduced accidents. This was the most blatantly silly reason because one could see that these barriers increased accidents multifold. 

Anyway, the police had their own statistics gathering mechanism and thrust this new theory on the poor public.

Right now traffic crawls or slithers snakelike along these roads. Bikers keep banging into the barriers frequently. Lorries and busses groan past in the most torturous manner and driving has become even more hellish and dangerous due to this great safety feature.

It is suggested that the fill-up these roads with so many barriers that vehicles can never hope to use them. That way there will be no accidents here.