Bust Up over Speed Bumps
Ed Grimsdale
Not many people rejoice when they encounter a speed hump in the road; at best there is a reluctant reaction of “Well, they serve a necessary purpose by preventing accidents”. Recent technological advances have reduced their vibrational impact by showing that smoother profiles with more gradual gradients are just as effective as the traditional exhaust-rattling bump. Last year, a building contractor, whose Oxford home lay opposite a speed bump on a busy road became so fed up that he mounted his excavator and flattened the lump that was giving him the hump! The contractor was taken to Court, but Oxford City Council didn’t re- instate like for like!
Now a bus company in Lichfield (one of ASHTAV’s small cities!) is pleading for Staffordshire to update its humps. To provide easier access for elderly and physically handicapped passengers, Zak’s buses have upgraded some of its fleet by buying low-loading buses. The firm has operated in Birmingham where humps are smoother and bus- friendly. But, the plethora of humps in North Lichfield is a different matter. Suspensions have been damaged by the constant rattling, costing Zak’s thousands of pounds in maintenance; drivers have stayed at home nursing back problems and one lady passenger was so disturbed that she fell from her seat. Staffordshire County Council have been unresponsive to pleas from Zak’s and from a local independent campaigner, John Walker. Without changes to humps, Zak’s are threatening to drop two services
from its timetable leaving some communities isolated.
How many other places suffer from the condition that is forcing Lichfield’s buses from its roads? Modern speed restrictors: chicanes, one-way passing points, surfaces shared by pedestrians and vehicles, etc are ready for adoption, but their implementation costs money and, frankly, it is easier to get money for brand-new projects (especially when they are tagged: “Put a fresh speed control in this spot and it will save lives.”) than for maintenance or replacement. Coupled is worry; that by stating that there is a better way forward, the traffic engineer is admitting, “I got it wrong”.
Which town will gain the sobriquet “ the last place in the UK with a real, old-fashioned
speed hump”? No doubt, tourists will flock there in thousands of rusty old bangers hoping for the ultimate hump experience: the crash and roar as the exhaust goes a.w.o.l..
ASHTAV acknowledges material from Victoria Hoe
www.expressandstar.com
An Australian Rhino is one answer
The Rhino speed hump can be easily set up or moved.
Common speed hump problems include, for example, one hump being ineffective because it is in the wrong place and humps being located near an outside coffee shop where patrons are subjected to noisy tyre and suspension thumps, excessive exhaust smells and squeaky brakes from cars slowing and then accelerating. Little else can be done to remedy these problems – except to dig the hump out and start again.
Finally the concept has been refined. Available from Australian Warehouse Solutions (AWS), Rhino Speed Humps are an innovative and cost effective speed deterrent that is easy to install, less noisy and can be re-located in less than half an hour.
Rhino Speed Humps are manufactured from tough recycled thermoplastic, and can be installed in twenty minutes with a reasonable power drill.
The speed hump's composition means it produces less noise from the bump-thump of vehicle suspension systems and tyres. It is also made in 500mm modules so the speed hump can be tailor-made for any situation. The Rhino Speed Hump also has aesthetic appeal.
The Rhino Speed Hump can be easily unbolted and moved.
This piece on the Rhino speed hump is reprinted from : www. f
erret.com.au
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