Acknowledging complaints received by the Mumbai Traffic Police from motorists, fined under the e-challan system, that zebra crossing lines on many city roads are barely visible, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has floated a tender to repaint the zebra crossings and other traffic markers on the roads.
According to sources, the traffic police had received numerous complaints about e-challans issued to motorists for halting ahead of or on zebra crossings when the lines had faded away almost entirely. The traffic police has urged the BMC to use cat's eye reflectors on the roads, so that even if the paint fades away, the reflectors will indicate the zebra crossing boundaries.
"Faded traffic markers on city roads is a general complaint from motorists. Since the e-challan system was introduced, we requested the BMC to install these reflectors. It will help when paint from zebra crossings, or other traffic markers, fade," said Milind Bharambe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
According to a BMC official, the civic body uses thermoplastic paint for road markings in the hope that they will not fade easily. Kerb lines along footpaths and midpoints on roads are painted using the same dye. However, it has been noticed that the paint begins to fade in just a couple of months. Civic officials blame the occurrence on the heat and humidity.
To solve the issue, the BMC has requested IIT Bombay to conduct research and suggest new techniques to paint the signs to prevent them from fading.
"We have floated a tender for the repair of zebra crossings and other traffic signs. The work of painting new signs will probably begin next month. The traffic police department has also requested this, and we had ourselves noted that the lines on many roads have faded," said Atul Patil, Deputy Chief Engineer of BMC's Roads and Traffic Department. "I think the hot and humid weather is a constraint in using new technology, There is no issue with the quality of the paint we use," Patil added.
