Damaged bollards on Trichy ROB raise quality concerns

Trichy: Bollards installed by the Trichy City police in April using Road Safety Funds have been damaged near the Aristo Road Over Bridge, raising concerns over their quality and durability.The Trichy City police received Rs 1.6 crore under the 2025-26 Road Safety Funds to improve traffic infrastructure and equipment. As part of the initiative, bollards were installed on the Cauvery River Bridge and the Aristo Road Over Bridge as an alternative to a median.However, within two months, several bollards on the Aristo Road Over Bridge have been damaged, uprooted or displaced, reportedly due to vehicle collisions.

In many stretches, missing bollards have created gaps that allow motorists to make illegal U-turns. Police have placed steel barricades at some locations to block the gaps, but the large number of damaged and missing bollards has affected traffic management.P Ayyarappan, founder of the Road User Welfare Trust, questioned the quality of the installations. “Such items should be purchased in the best quality available to withstand the impact of collisions from vehicles,” he said. He also called for surveillance cameras to be installed at bollard locations to improve enforcement and identify those responsible for damaging public property. “Warning boards should be installed to inform commuters that they are being monitored for compliance with traffic rules,” he added.A Trichy City police official said, “The damaged bollards will be taken into account while purchasing new ones of better quality,” the official said.