‘Tyre Killers’ Installed To Prevent Wrong Side Driving End Up Injuring Pedestrians: Locals Now Protesting

The installation of spike barriers, also called tyre killers on Shivaji Path near Thane West railway station has triggered protests from locals. The people here have mixed reactions towards the recently set up mechanism. While the move was intended to prevent wrong-side driving, it has unintentionally caused injuries to unsuspecting pedestrians around.

Why Were Spike Barriers Installed In Thane?

In September last year, the Thane traffic police and municipal corporation announced their plan to introduce tyre killers at major locations in the city. This was inspired by Mumbai’s similar approach to curb traffic violations.

The spike barriers are unidirectional and spring-loaded—if a vehicle tries to drive against traffic, it would run against these and the sharp spikes would puncture its tyres, effectively stopping the violation.

With increasing instances of wrong-side driving leading to accidents and traffic congestion, authorities believed this would be an effective deterrent.

However, while it has successfully stopped vehicles from violating traffic rules, the unsuspecting pedestrians have now fallen prey to these. Since these were relatively new, some pedestrians were unaware of their existence.

Last week, the first set of spike barriers was installed at Shivaji Path. While they did their job of preventing wrong-side driving right, unwary pedestrians started getting injured by their sharp edges.

Shivaji Path is one of the busiest roads that leads to the Thane West railway station. Every day, thousands of commuters walk through this area. However, due to narrow or encroached footpaths, many are forced to walk on the road itself. Unfortunately, some of them who were unaware of the newly installed spikes and accidentally stepped on them, injuring themselves in the process.

Tyre Killers: How Do They Work?

The spike barriers are loaded with springs and placed at an angle. These spikes will go down without causing any harm to the tyres if they are run over from the right direction. Once the vehicle has passed, these spikes retract back quickly. If the vehicles approach them from the opposite direction, these won’t go down and will puncture their tyres. Causing tyres to burst can cause accidents, especially for two-wheelers.

Local Residents Speak Out

The have become extremely unhappy with the situation and have started protesting. They argue that tyre killers prioritize vehicles over pedestrian well-being. A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, shared their concern:

“This area is already crowded, and people often walk on the road because the footpaths are too narrow. If the authorities really want to fix the issue, they should first clear the footpaths instead of putting dangerous spikes on the road.”

Shah, a local businessman and BJP activist, however, supports the idea of preventing wrong-side driving but believes the execution is flawed. He says that the concept is good but it needs careful improvements and changes. The government should first focus on providing wider and encroachment-free footpaths. He says that he would write to the authorities and request modifications to the system.

Congress functionary Rahul Pingale also weighed in on the issue, suggesting an alternative approach. He believes that instead of spike barriers, a team of traffic police officers should be deployed at critical spots to prevent violations. Doing so will not cause any harm to passersby.

Authorities Respond

The Thane traffic police are currently evaluating the impact of these barriers before arriving at a final decision. Deputy Police Commissioner Pankaj Shirsat commented on the situation:

“We have not received any official complaints yet, but if citizens approach us with concerns, we will definitely take action. Warning boards have already been placed at the location, and we are advising pedestrians to avoid walking on the roads.”

While the authorities remain open to feedback, pedestrians and commuters feel that their safety must be given equal importance.

What Should Ideally Be Done?

Wrong-way driving has to be stopped. The authorities have to strike a balance between the safety of vehicles and pedestrians. They should ideally take a more holistic approach to this, and ensure proper pedestrian infrastructure, enforce traffic rules, and modify the current spike barriers to make them safer for pedestrians.

Until then, Thane residents remain divided—some appreciate the move to regulate traffic, while others worry about its unintended consequences. It remains to be seen whether authorities will be able to find a middle ground here.