Unmarked speed breakers have become death traps for commuters on the Barisal-Dhaka, Barisal-Khulna and Barisal-Kuakata highways.

The speed breakers cannot be seen even from a short distance as there are no coloured markings or any other sign.

It is too late to control the vehicles when the speed breakers are seen, said Al-Amin, a bus driver of Nathullabad Bus Stand.

“Although I am a regular driver on the road, I sometimes forget about the speed breakers as there are no markings,” said Akijur Rahman, a car driver.

Some speed breakers are so badly made that the chassis of a private car gets dented when the car crosses over them, he added.

“A month ago, some passengers in the back seat of my car got injured when I crossed the speed breaker at Kashipur in Barisal city because I could not see the speed breaker until it was too late,” said Md Abul Hossain, a highway bus driver.

The speed breakers are death traps for new drivers on the road, he added.

Bike riders sustain severe injuries as they often fall on the road when they cross the speed breakers, many of them said.

“Some days ago I fell on the road and got badly injured when I crossed the speed breaker at Kaligira on Barisal-Khulna highway as I could not notice it ,” said a biker of Bogura Roan in the city.

Patients, particularly pregnant women, are badly affected by the speed breakers, said Doctor Mahbubur Rahman of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal.

Twenty speed breakers on around 23 km of highway under the city and 19 speed breakers on 20 km on the road to Bakerganj under Barisal-Kuakata highway do not have have coloured markings.  

“Accidents can occur on these roads if the speed breakers are not maintained properly,” said Md Aftab Uddin, president of Bus Owners' Association of the district. 

All the speed breakers should be marked with colour immediately to avert any accident during the Eid rush, demanded the owners and drivers of all kind of vehicles in the city.

“We cannot mark the speed breakers as the roads are being repaired. We will mark them after completing the repair work,” said Golam Mostafa, executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department in the district.