The Times of India        07.10.2014  

NDMC paints kerbs red & green

NEW DELHI: New Delhi Municipal Council is painting the central verges red and green in Lutyens' Delhi. Recently, NDMC had put reflector strips between every pair of kerbstones. But the reflector strips have started coming off at several places. Road safety experts said that instead of using reflector strips, the civic agency should use reflective paint as it is easier to maintain.

The medians on Shahjahan Road have been painted red and green. Sources say the strips were put after objections from Delhi Traffic Police. When TOI visited the area on Monday, many of these were dislodged. "We had told NDMC that they will have to put reflector strips if they use any colour other than yellow, white and black on medians. The idea behind painting medians is to make the dividers discernible. The paint should reflect light,'' said a traffic official.

Though there is no standard colour combination for medians, experts recommended reflective paints. They said dark colours shouldn't be used because they absorb light. "Civic agencies can use any colour they like but it should be a reflective paint. The purpose of painting road dividers is defeated otherwise. What's the point of painting dividers if they have to put reflector strips,'' said Rohit Baluja, president of Institute of Road Traffic Education.

NDMC chairman Jalaj Shrivastava said, "We have used colours of sandstone and greenery. We are putting reflector strips." As for reflector strips coming off, Shrivastava said he will get that checked.

Sources said the agency plans to go ahead with the red-and-green colour scheme. "We had conducted a trial run last year. Now, it will be done in the entire Lutyens' Delhi. We have decided to put reflector strips everywhere," said an official.

Maintenance of reflector strips, experts said, is going to be a task. They stressed the need to standardize colours that can be used for road signage and warnings.