PUNE:
Paver blocks used for construction and resurfacing of roads across the city are testing the motorists' skills and nerves with many interlocking tiles either sinking or breaking on several stretches.
The most common complaint of the road users is of the loosening of the paver blocks and their haphazard reinstatement, leading to extremely unfriendly driving conditions.
The civic administration has been using paver blocks, apart from the cement concrete and tar or asphalt, to construct roads. Some roads are constructed with a mix of both — paver blocks and asphalt. The civic administration's argument in favour of the paver blocks was to restrict haphazard digging of the roads. The motorists, however, questioned positioning of the blocks in the middle of the roads.
For instance, a road near
Shivajinagar station with paver blocks has almost caved in. PMPML and MSRTC buses use the road daily.
Varun Sathe, who travels on the busy
Shivaji road frequently, said, "Bikers are most unsafe because of the uneven blocks. A portion of the road has even sunk."
Devendra Shah, another resident, said reinstatement of the paver block roads was "very poor".
V K Haribhakta, executive engineer in the civic body's road department, said, "The blocks are introduced on roads with utility lines beneath. For instance, Shivaji Road has many
underground utility lines. It was recommended to use paver blocks as they are easier to remove, instead of asphalt."
