A ‘tyre killer’ at Noida’s Sector 77. On Tuesday night, two cabs were caught violating rules, with officials saying the drivers will have to get the tyres fixed themselves. (Express: Praveen Khanna)Two days after ‘tyre killers’ were installed at Noida’s Sector 77 to deter wrong-side driving, two cabs were caught violating rules on Tuesday night, Noida Authority officials said. The cars were moved to the side and drivers will have to get the tyres fixed themselves, said officials.
The ‘tyre killers’ have an elevation similar to that of a speed-breaker, with a slope on one side and metal spikes on the other.
Meanwhile, pictures emerged on social media of the ‘tyre killers’ suffering damage and being pulled apart, with the metal strip sporting gaps wide enough to let cars pass. The Noida Authority, however, denied the strip was tampered with, and said it is being inspected.
“We were informed of possible damage to the ‘tyre killers’. The executive engineer is looking into it… Some bituminous work was carried out Tuesday night on the patch of road where the strip was installed. It is working fine now,” said Rajiv Tyagi, General Manager (Projects) Noida Authority.
The move has received mixed response from residents, with those who live in the area hailing the decision and others claiming that it damaged their vehicles.
Amit Gupta, who lives in Prateek Society in Sector 77, said a deterrent for unlawful drivers is necessary. “We have been petitioning for something like this for very long. Our society is situated at a corner, and people often drive in the wrong direction to avoid driving a few hundred metres. This leads to accidents and bad traffic. Now, drivers are cautious, which is a huge relief,” he said.
Swati, a Greater Noida resident who uses the route, said, “It is a great decision. The cars can go over the slope easily.”
But Noida resident Ankur Verma alleged that the elevation of the slope damaged his car: “The metal slope hits the under-body of low-ground clearance cars… and the mud-flap of my car broke. It is badly designed and installed. Authorities should share the design with people.”
The strips are being manufactured by a private agency for the Noida Authority, with the total project approximately costing Rs 2 lakh. The progress of installation in other sectors has been halted at the moment and work will resume next week, an official said.
