Bougainvillea Plants along Nehru Maidan Rd a Safety Hazard to Riders
Mangaluru: If you are driving along the Nehru Maidan road in your car, you will have no problems with these Bougainvillea plants which adore the whole stretch of this road- but unfortunately for two-wheeler riders when they have no option than ride very close to these thorn-bearing flower plants, chances are they’ll get hurt due to the sharp thorns on these plants. A couple of days ago, a 6-year-old boy taking a ride with his dad on the scooter got serious bruises when he came in contact with one of the Bougainvillea plant on this road. No doubt these plants give a beautiful look to the city, but the plants need to be trimmed when they grow up- which has not been done in this case here by Mangaluru City Corporation.
These plants on Nehru Maidan Road have overgrown, and some of them are protruding towards the street, which causes safety hazard especially to the two-wheeler riders when they ride along the side of these plants, which are thorny vines. About Bougainvillea -it is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees with flower-like spring leave near its flowers. The vine species grow anywhere from 1 to 12 m (3 to 40 ft.) tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. These plants add beauty to any surrounding- but they need to be trimmed when they grow.
In Mangaluru, commuting in the city on two wheeler is getting riskier every day, from pot holes, sunken manholes, unmarked speed humps, speeding buses driven by rash drivers, etc etc- and now added to all these, two-wheeler riders have to be cautious while riding very close to these Bougainvillea plants- why I say it because I too ride a scooter and take this stretch of road lines along with these thorny plants.. Even though I could have bought a small car, but I am continuing to use a two wheeler for my daily commute, as two wheelers save lots of road space, consume less fuel, enable you to reach a destination faster and are cheaper to maintain. But obstacles like these make a lot harder to commute by a two-wheeler. At some point in time in future, I might just buy a car purely for the safety of four walls it offers.
In order to be safe on our city roads, you need to be extra sensitive to ever changing scenarios around you, be able to identify potential hazards and stay clear of the same. Unfortunately, driving schools only teach you how to drive and NOT how to identify and avert potential dangers. Every article on road safety recycles the same old stuff- ride slow, follow traffic rules, keep servicing your vehicle- which is fine in theory but not practical enough to be street smart and be safe. One and the only way you can be safe is by giving your undivided attention to the road and everything surrounding it. Do not think of office work, family tension or anything else that can distract you. Keep an eye on people, vehicles and all these obstacles all around you while you ride.
In conclusion, I am not against having these beautiful flower blooming plants along the Nehru Maidan stretch, but my humble request to the city maintenance officials of MCC is that they should trim these plants when they grow up, thereby prevent them from hurting the two-wheeler riders and also the pedestrians, since these are thorny ornamental vines. Thank you!