Noida: An old and rusted height restriction barrier outside the Botanical Garden metro station collapsed on Monday. Noida Authority has since placed it on the road parallel to the central verge.This stretch is a vital link on Dadri-Surajpur-Chhalera Road, connecting Sector 37 and Bhangel to GIP Mall and sectors 16 and 18. It handles a dense flow of vehicles throughout the day, including cars, auto-rickshaws, bike taxis and delivery fleets. The collapse has once again stirred concerns over commuter safety on one of the city’s busiest arterial stretches.Originally installed by Noida Authority in coordination with the traffic police a few years ago to restrict the entry of heavy vehicles on this stretch. Buses and trucks are required to divert left, pass through the Botanical Garden metro station’s parking area, and rejoin the main road near the multilevel parking.Commuters allege that the structure has been in a state of disrepair for months. Instead of replacing the barrier, the Authority has simply repaired it.“The barrier had been deteriorating for a long time. It was rusted and broken at multiple joints. It has collapsed at least two to three times. Each time, workers carry out shoddy repairs and reinstall it,” a regular commuter on the route, Gaurav Kumar, said. “These fixes have failed to address the underlying structural weakness.”Echoing similar concerns, a bike taxi driver operating near the metro station stressed the urgency of permanent intervention. “If the Authority reinstalls that rusted barrier again and it recollapses onto a moving vehicle or a pedestrian, it would be a serious accident. It needs to be replaced now,” he said.The Authority CEO Krishna Karunesh has asked officials to inspect the site and take necessary measures at the earliest.A TOI report published in June last year pointed out the dilapidated state of both the height barriers installed on DSC Road — one near the Botanical Garden metro station and another close to the GIP Mall. In March last year, a height barrier near DLF Mall of India’s west gate was damaged after reportedly being hit by a heavy vehicle. Most of the height barriers across the city have corroded frames and jagged metal edges that pose a threat to two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws. The absence of reflectors or adequate lighting makes them nearly invisible at night, compounding the danger.Residents and daily commuters have also pointed to the need for routine inspection and maintenance of public infrastructure, especially in high-traffic zones, to avert such recurring failures and minimise inconvenience.
