Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

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Case Studies on Transport Policy

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Evaluation of the effectiveness of speed tables combined with other traffic

calming measures and their community acceptance in Mauritius
M. Zaheer Doomah a, *, Daven P. Paupoo b
a
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius
b
Limbada and Limbada Consulting Engineers, Rose Hill, Mauritius

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Traffic Calming Measures (TCMs) are believed to be most effective in mitigating road safety issues when com­
Speed table bined together as part of a traffic calming scheme. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of
Traffic calming speed tables in combination with other TCMs in reducing vehicle speed while simultaneously assessing their
Speed
acceptance by the community in Mauritius. Four speed table design combinations implemented at identified high
Community acceptance
risk road segments were analysed in this research. These are: (1) Speed table in combination with rumble strips
and changed surfacing; (2) Speed table in combination with pinch points and changed surfacing; (3) Speed table
and changed surfacing; and (4) Two speed tables in combination with round-top humps and changed surfacing.
On-site surveys were carried out using the moving car method and android speedometer application for spot
speed measurements and face-to-face questionnaire interviews to gauge community acceptance. All four design
combinations were found to result into a speed reduction of between 30 and 50% at the centre of the traffic
calmed zone. However, it was observed that rumble strips did not have the desired effect of reducing vehicular
speed and were not favoured by people in the community due to noise and vibration associated with them.
Additionally, the community acceptance survey indicated that the public generally viewed speed table combi­
nations as having positive impact on road user safety, with people finding that a pavement with rough surface
texture and a change in colour would provide the highest impact for speed reduction. The study has shown that
policy makers should consider speed tables in combination with pinch points for implementation where
pedestrian crossings are required while speed tables with humps should be considered outside residential areas to
minimise disturbance.

1. Introduction
Road traffic crashes now represent the eighth cause of death globally,
with>1.35 million deaths each year and up to 50 million injuries (World
Health Organisation, 2018). There are many causes of these road traffic
crashes and speeding is by far the main reason, with a 1 km/h increase in
mean vehicle speed leading to an increase of 4–5% in the number of fatal
road crashes (World Health Organisation, 2017). Therefore, an effective
speed management strategy is indispensable to successfully achieve
global road safety goals. Reducing speed to more appropriate levels can
produce substantial reductions in both the number and severity of road
crashes, with a 5% reduction in the average speed of a vehicle having
been reported to successfully reduce the number of fatalities from road
crashes by 30% (World Health Organisation, 2018). This will help to
achieve the target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and
injuries by 2030 which was recently set by the United Nations when
proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 (UNECE,
2021).
Speed tables are midblock traffic calming devices that raise the entire
wheelbase of a vehicle to reduce its traffic speed. Previous studies have
indicated that speed tables improve road safety by reducing vehicle
speed by 18% (Ewing, 2001). However; research indicated that the
combination of different measures as part of a traffic calming scheme is
likely to be more effective than individual treatments (Elliott et al.,
2003).
The road transportation system plays a major role in the movement
of people and goods in Mauritius. However, road traffic crashes have
become one of the leading causes of deaths in Mauritius (Statistics
Mauritius, 2018) despite the various road safety campaigns and speed
management strategies developed over the years. The fatality rate for

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: m.doomah@uom.ac.mu (M.Z. Doomah), p_daven@hotmail.com (D.P. Paupoo).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2022.04.022
Received 28 February 2022; Received in revised form 19 April 2022; Accepted 29 April 2022
Available online 28 May 2022
2213-624X/© 2022 World Conference on Transport Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

road crashes in Mauritius has oscillated around 12 per 100,000 persons Table 1
over the past decade, with pedestrians and motorcyclists accounting for Summary of research studies on TCMs.
approximately 55% of all road user casualties (Statistics Mauritius, Traffic calming Country, Year Methodology Main Findings
2019). A survey carried out amongst the public indicated that excessive measures & Source
speed is widely considered as one of the major contributing factors of investigated
road crashes in Mauritius (Sungker, 2005). Moreover, from July 2019 to Speed humps Australia, Field Reduction in average
June 2020, Photographic Enforcement Devices installed at various lo­ 2015; ( measurements speed (17%) and
cations caught 40,840 drivers in violation of the speed limits (Mauritius Werner, 2015) and public traffic volume (30%)
perception achieved. Public
News, 2021). surveys perceived humps as
The authority responsible for road safety in Mauritius has recently bringing speed
adopted the implementation of speed tables in combination with other reduction but causing
Traffic Calming Measures (TCMs). The primary focus of these measures inconvenience.
Speed humps Egypt, 2018; ( Public perception Respondents highly
is to reduce vehicle speeds along identified high risk road sections to
Shwaly et al., surveys agreeable that speed
make these safer for all road users. 2018) humps effectively
While studies have been carried out on traffic calming in several reduce speed (81%)
countries, no such study has been done in Mauritius to assess effec­ and crashes (42%).
tiveness of TCMs and their acceptance by the community and road users. However,
respondents also
The present study has focused on bridging this gap by not only inves­ found humps
tigating the impacts of the speed table combinations implemented but inconvenient; noisy
also assessing their acceptance by the public and identifying community (74%), causing
preferences in terms of measures and materials used. The study was vehicle damage
(48%) and
conducted at four locations in Mauritius with differing characteristics in
environmental
terms of road environment and geometric parameters. The findings and pollution (69%).
recommendations of this study will help decision makers such as traffic Speed tables Georgia, 2003; Before and after Measures helped to
engineers and planners decide on the most appropriate TCMs for (Bretherton, studies achieve 38%
improving road safety. 2003) reduction in total
crashes and a 9.1 mph
decrease in the 85th
2. Literature review percentile speed at
study sites.
Speed brings in positive effects on mobility of drivers, but negatively Speed tables Iowa, U.S.A, Field Measures helped to
2008; ( measurements reduce the 85th
impacts safety when exceeded. Speeding as a factor in fatal road crashes
Hallmark percentile speed by
is well documented; the European Road Safety Charter (Excellence in et al., 2008) 5–10%. Shorter speed
Road Safety Awards, 2019) identified speed as one of the four main tables achieved
contributors to road deaths while a recent study in 2021 by the U.S. higher reduction in
National Center for Statistics and Analysis identified that twenty-six speeds.
Speed tables Iran, 2014; Field Speed tables help to
percent of fatal crashes in 2019 were speed-related. (Falamarzi measurements reduce vehicle speeds
Speed limits are frequently exceeded by motorists with a study and Rahmat, and observational but careful
(European Commission, 2020) finding that 67% of Europeans admit to 2014) survey consideration should
having sped on rural roads in the previous 30 days. In a recent survey be given to the length
and height of the
(Holocher and Holte, 2019) done in 2018, 56% of European car drivers
speed table.
indicated that they had deliberately driven faster than the speed limit on Speed humps and Indonesia, Observational Combination of speed
roads other than motorways in built-up areas at least once in the pre­ chicanes 2011; ( survey hump with chicane
vious month while 67% had done the same outside built-up areas. Joewono, was more effective in
The reduction of the motor vehicles speeds is one of the key elements 2011) reducing vehicle
speed compared to
to reduce severity of road crashes and traffic calming is one of the means that without chicane.
used to achieve this. Traffic calming is the combination of mainly The lowest speed
physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, occurred just before
alter driver behaviour, and improve conditions for non-motorized street and after the speed
hump.
users (Lockwood, 1997). Several studies have been performed globally
Speed humps, Lithuania, Field Measures achieved
to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures and a summary of some speed bumps, 2016; ( measurements reduction of at least
relevant research is provided in Table 1 below. raised Jateikiene 30% in the number of
Research studies have concluded that although TCMs may work crosswalk, et al., 2016) fatal and injury
effectively as separate interventions, it has become increasingly more safety islands crashes at study sites.
and speed However, speed
common for them to be implemented as a combination of measures in a cameras tables and speed
traffic calming scheme (Boulter and Webster, 1997). Combination of bumps were the most
measures also induces different psychological effects in the mind of effective with 65%
drivers due to their higher alerting effects, thereby altering their and 73% reduction
achieved.
behaviour when negotiating the features (Elliott et al., 2003). Moreover,
Raised Spain, 2016; ( Field Raised crosswalk and
a study in urban areas (Gonzalo-Orden et al., 2018) concluded that crosswalks, Gonzalo- measurements lane narrowing were
traffic calming measures tend to act locally on vehicles’ speed and do not Lane Orden et al., more effective for
imply a memory effect on drivers and therefore they must be combined narrowing, 2016) lowering the speed.
adequately in order to assure a traffic calmed zone. Speed cameras The radar speed
camera and the radar
Generally, the earlier studies suggest the effectiveness of speed tables speed warning signs
in traffic calming schemes when implemented on their own. The need other traffic
increased reduction in speed which can be brought by implementing (continued on next page)
traffic calming measures in combination has also been highlighted.

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M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

Table 1 (continued ) with other traffic calming measures. Empirical research through the use
Traffic calming Country, Year Methodology Main Findings of quantitative methods consisting of site measurements and question­
measures & Source naire surveys has been carried out to collect data required. For this
investigated research, a multiple case study approach has been adopted with a total
calming measures of four sites chosen to ensure that data collection and analysis remains
before and after them manageable in line with literature which recommends three to four
to keep speeds low. cases as being optimum for comparison purposes (Yin, 2018; Burkholder
Speed tables, Italy, 2019; Field Traffic calming
et al., 2019).
chicanes, road (Distefano and measurements devices bring a
narrowing Leonardi, reduction in speed
2019) but chicanes and 3.1. Study sites
speed tables are more
effective in having a Stand-alone traffic calming devices such as speed humps, speed ta­
higher magnitude of
reduction.
bles and rumble strips are common on Mauritian roads. However,
Treatments using Qatar, 2021; ( Driving simulator Higher reduction in recently, speed tables in combination with other TCMs have been
pavement Hussain et al., vehicular speed was implemented at a few high-risk locations in Mauritius. Four sites have
markings, LED 2021) achieved at sites with therefore been selected to capture combinations used and different site
and VMS LED and VMS
environments as shown in Fig. 1 below. Two of the chosen sites (Port
treatments well in
advance of the Louis and Vacoas) are in urban areas with high traffic volumes whereas
treatment location, the others are located in rural regions.
significant lowering A reconnaissance survey was first carried out at each study site to
in variations of assess prevailing site conditions in terms of traffic volumes, vehicular
acceleration/
deceleration.
speeds and road user behaviour. During the preliminary visit, an in­
ventory of the existing road infrastructure and adjacent important
buildings was done. Field measurement was also carried out to deter­
However, the literature lacks information on the effectiveness of speed mine the basic characteristics of the speed calming devices and included
tables combined with different types of traffic calming measures in dimensions of traffic calming devices and distances between them. The
different environmental conditions such as in urban and rural areas or in construction materials of each speed calming measure were also noted.
areas with heavy pedestrian flows. A study of the combinations in All site visits and data collection were done from January to March
different conditions would provide an insight to decision makers on the 2020.
best possible measures to adopt based on impacts, which need to be
achieved. This is highly significant given that in Small Island Developing 3.1.1. Site 1: Speed table in combination with rumble strips, change in
States like Mauritius, optimum use of limited resources must be made in surface texture and colour
an attempt to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes. The site is situated along the two-way collector road in the coastal
village of Riambel, and comprises a speed table combined with rumble
3. Material and methods strips, located at 80 m before the speed table. The speed table is located
in a residential area and is adjacent to a centre for disabled persons. The
This section deals with the approach and method used in this site context and main characteristics for this site are illustrated in Fig. 2.
research for determining the effectiveness of the speed tables combined

Fig. 1. Study sites with TCM combinations.

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M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

Fig. 2. Site 1 layout, pictures and characteristics.

3.1.2. Site 2: Speed table in combination with pinch points, change in
surface texture and colour
The site is located along the Edith Cavell Street, a collector road in
the city of Port Louis which is a one-way and consists of a speed table
combined with pinch points, installed directly opposing each other on
the speed table to narrow the width of the carriageway from 7 m to 5 m.
In addition, a zebra crossing is incorporated on the speed tables. The
speed table is located adjacent to a school and is surrounded by various
commercial and administrative buildings. The site context and charac­
teristics are illustrated in Fig. 3.
3.1.3. Site 3: Speed tables in combination with change in surface texture
and colour
The site is situated at a cross junction along the arterial Black River
Road in the village of Ruisseau Creole. This section of the road is calmed
using a speed table which stretches 40 m along the Black River Road and
extends further along the lateral roads, Avenue des Jacarandas and
Avenue des Tulipes. The speed table is found in a mixed residential and
commercial area and its characteristics are provided in Fig. 4.
3.1.4. Site 4: Two speed tables in combination with round-top humps,
change in surface texture and colour
The site is situated in a residential and commercial environment

Fig. 3. Site 2 layout, pictures and characteristics.

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Fig. 4. Site 3 layout, pictures and characteristics.

along the John Kennedy Avenue, which is a collector road in the town of
Vacoas and comprises two speed tables, spaced at 63 m, in combination
with round-top humps located immediately before the speed tables. A
zebra crossing is incorporated between the speed tables. The site char­
acteristics are shown in Fig. 5 below.
3.2. Speed measurement method
The experimental survey has been carried out for a period of five
days at each site during the day in good weather conditions. Off-peak
hours were chosen to ensure that the speed reduction of vehicles is
resulting mostly from the presence of traffic calming measures and is not
due to interactions with other vehicles. The hour intervals for experi­
mental survey were 10.00–11.00 and 13.00–14.00. Two surveyors were
trained for the survey, with one acting as the driver and the other
recording information.
LIDAR gun, Radar gun, stopwatch method and GPS tracking are
common methods for collecting speed data of moving vehicles. A cost-
effective method of collecting dynamic speed data was adopted by
using the moving observer method coupled with an android speedom­
eter application. The Speed View GPS application is an advanced
speedometer application that uses a phone’s built-in GPS system to give
a number of characteristics such as maximum speed, average speed,
direction of travel, duration of travel, distance moved and speed profiles
among others when used on a stretch of road. However, a number of
factors such as atmospheric conditions, obstructions and the visibility of
satellites may affect its measurements. Therefore, prior to its use, a
calibration exercise was carried out using a radar gun to measure vehicle

Fig. 5. Site 4 layout, pictures and characteristics.

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M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

speeds at the control points. The difference in speed between the
application and the radar gun reading was noted (calibration speed) and
was then used to adjust the recorded data by using equation below. The
calibration speed was observed to be + 4 km/hr.
Corrected Speed = Recorded speed + Calibration speed
below. Three main age groups were used for ease of visual identification,
namely young adults (less than 30 years old), adults between 30 and 45
years old and older adults (above 45 years old).
3.3. Questionnaire survey administration

This data collection method involved a number of test runs per­
formed using a test vehicle on the study route. It comprised of two main
tasks that needed to be performed by two people; a driver and an
observer. To ensure accurate monitoring of vehicle speeds, the driver in
the test vehicle was encouraged to drive normally by floating with the
current traffic stream under free flow conditions. Any test runs affected
by non-free flow traffic such as unusual stopping prior to and while
crossing the TCMs were discarded.
For a spot speed study at a selected location, a sample size of at least
50 and preferably 100 vehicles is required (Ewing, 1999). For this study,
a minimum of 50 test runs were performed on the study route for each
case study to allow for sufficient collection of data for various types of
vehicles and driver profiles. The observer had to record data using the
‘Speed View GPS: Speedometer’ application installed on an Android
when the test vehicle crosses different predetermined control points.
These were identified on site prior to the survey and were located at
distances of 25 m and 50 m before and after the traffic calming devices
based on the findings of a study conducted by Falamarzi and Rahmat in
2014 (Falamarzi and Rahmat, 2014). Control points were also included
along the traffic calming measures depending on the combinations
implemented. Traffic cones were used at each identified control point to
assist the observer for collecting data. The speed data collected was
analysed using average speed, speed median and 85th percentile speed,
from which speed profiles for the study sites were drawn.
For each study site, an attempt was made to incorporate a wide
spectrum of vehicles and drivers in the 50 test runs. Surveys included
capture of data for four wheeled vehicles and two-wheelers as well as
male and female adults of different age groups as detailed in Table 2
For a traffic calming strategy to be effective, the majority of road
users along with local residents must be in favour of the measures. A
public opinion and community acceptance survey was therefore per­
formed in the neighbourhood of the study sites through the use of a
questionnaire. The questions aimed to obtain the opinions of re­
spondents on the suitability, effectiveness and impacts of the speed table
combinations.
A total of 390 valid questionnaires were obtained using face-to-face
interviews with people in the vicinity of the study sites. This method was
used to ensure questions were properly understood and answered.
Purposive sampling was adopted to identify participants for the survey,
with the two main criteria being:
• The respondents should be a road user passing at the study site
regularly (at least three times a week) either as a road user or as a
resident.
• The age of the participants - four main age groups were identified,
namely young adults, adults between 30 and 45 years, adults be­
tween 45 and 60 years and adults above 60 years old. The catego­
rization was based on statistics of drivers involved in fatal road
crashes in Mauritius in 2019 where these four main age categories
were noted (Statistics Mauritius, 2019), with the young adults
category being the most vulnerable ones while the elderly adults
were the least involved as given below:
• Adults 18 – 29 years involved in fatal crashes – 40%
• Adults 30 – 44 years involved in fatal crashes – 28%
• Adults 45 – 59 years involved in fatal crashes – 27%
• Adults 60 years and above involved in fatal crashes – 5%

It is to be noted that different participants were chosen for the

Table 2 questionnaire survey and the field survey for speed profiles.
Characteristics of vehicles and drivers involved in test runs.
Age Group 4. Results
Site Vehicle Type Less than 30 30 – 45 years Above 45 years
years
Analysis of the data collected from the site surveys are provided in
Male Female Male Female Male Female
the following sub-sections.
Two-wheelers 2 0 3 0 2 0
1 Light vehicles 6 5 4 6 6 6
(cars, vans, etc) 4.1. Speed profiles
Other vehicles 3 0 3 1 3 0
(minibus, light The predetermined control points at which speed data was recorded
trucks, buses, and other required site information are shown below for each site. The
etc)
Two-wheelers 3 0 1 0 3 0
speed profiles at the study sites have been plotted from the data recorded
2 Light vehicles 5 8 4 4 5 4 at the control points and are illustrated in the figures below.
(cars, vans, etc)
Other vehicles 3 0 4 2 3 1 4.1.1. Study site 1
(minibus, light
From the speed profiles of S85, S50 and Sa in both directions of travel
trucks, buses,
etc) in Fig. 6, it is observed that the speed table induced a speed reduction
Two-wheelers 2 0 2 0 3 0 between 30 and 40%, with vehicular speeds dropping to an average of
3 Light vehicles 6 8 4 5 4 4 24 km/hr at its location. The zone of influence of the speed table is
(cars, vans, etc) approximately 25 m from its location, with drivers starting to reduce
Other vehicles 3 0 4 1 4 0
(minibus, light
their speeds once they reach this zone. Once the speed table is negoti­
trucks, buses, ated, drivers increase their speed and reach the average speed after 50
etc) m. It is also observed that the rumble strips do not induce a significant
Two-wheelers 3 0 2 0 3 0 reduction in speed.
4 Light vehicles 5 7 4 6 4 5
(cars, vans, etc)
Other vehicles 3 0 3 1 4 0 4.1.2. Study site 2
(minibus, light The S85, S50 and Sa profiles in Fig. 7 indicate a speed drop between 25
trucks, buses, and 35% about 25 m prior to the speed table. The speeds reach their
etc) lowest value at the top of the speed table while crossing the pinch points,
TOTAL 44 28 38 26 44 20
with an average speed of 18.6 km/hr. Although the speeds increase

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M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo
Fig. 6. Speed profiles for Site 1.
while vehicles move along the raised table, they still remain below 30
km/hr as a result of the surface texture and colour of the pavement,
which indicate to drivers that they have not yet left the traffic calmed
zone. Drivers tend to travel at their normal speed 25 m after negotiating
the speed table.
4.1.3. Study site 3
Profiles of S85, S50 and Sa in Fig. 8 indicate that the traffic calming
measures start to influence speeds approximately 50 m from its location,
with average vehicular speeds dropping below 30 km/hr in both
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Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565
directions prior to negotiating the speed table. The speeds remain below
30 km/hr while vehicles are travelling along the speed table, indicating
again the effectiveness of the change in surface texture and colour. It is
observed that although vehicular speeds increase gradually for the next
50 m after the traffic calming measures, the speeds still remain below
the speed recorded prior to negotiating the measures.
4.1.4. Study site 4
The speed profile for the S85, S50 and Sa in Fig. 9 in both directions of
travel indicate a significant reduction in speeds when the drivers are
M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo
Fig. 7. Speed profiles for Site 2.
entering the traffic calmed stretch and travelling along the pavement
with changed texture and colour. A slight increase in vehicular speed is
noted along the asphalt segment with a reduction noted at the onset of
the second speed table followed by the round top hump. In both di­
rections, speeds are still low after the drivers have passed over the
second hump over a stretch of approximately 25 m. Speeds are observed
to increase subsequently.
4.2. Speed standard deviation
The speed standard deviation which reflects the degree of deviation
of vehicular speeds from the average speed has been plotted for each site
and is provided in Fig. 10 below.
It can be seen from Fig. 10 for all sites that the standard deviation for
speeds at the traffic calming devices lies approximately between 4 and 6
km/hr only, indicating that there is no significant deviation of vehicular
speeds from the average speed.
4.3. Community acceptance
The questionnaire consisted of questions designed to capture the
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Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565
opinion of persons living near and who regularly pass by the study sites.
The questions were set to capture the following information:
• Causes of road safety issues – Respondents were required to choose
among several causes, the ones which they perceive are the most
relevant to the creation of road safety issues.
• Effectiveness of the traffic calming combinations under study –
Members of the community were required to answer whether they
agreed, disagreed or had no idea on whether the four types of traffic
calming combinations would effectively lead to a speed reduction.
Photographs of traffic calming measures were shown to them to
ensure that they understood correctly the combinations.
• Type of surfacing – Respondents were asked on how far they were
agreeable that the given road surfacing options will be effective in
contributing to a speed reduction effect
• Effectiveness of the traffic calming combinations on improving safety
for different road users – Persons interviewed were asked how far
they agreed that the traffic calming combinations improved safety
for different categories of road users
• Inconvenience caused by the speed table combinations – Re­
spondents were asked whether they agreed that the traffic calming
M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

Fig. 8. Speed profiles for Site 3.

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M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

Fig. 9. Speed profiles for Site 4.

measures were causing a lot of inconvenience in terms of noise and 5. Discussion

vibration
• Impact of speed table combinations on drivers’ comfort and vehicles 5.1. Speed profiles
– Persons interviewed were asked how far they agreed with specific
positive and negative impacts of the traffic calming measures. The speed profiles for the four speed table combinations vary due to

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M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

Fig. 10. Speed standard deviation for study sites.

Table 3
Comparison of speed reduction for different speed table combinations.
Case study Length of traffic Posted Average speed 50 Average speed at Average speed 25 Average speed 50
calmed zone speed m before zone centre of zone m after zone m after zone

1. Speed table with changed surface texture and 25 m 40 km/h 39.6 km/h 24.5 km/h 35.7 km/h 43.8 km/h
colour in combination with rumble strips
2. Speed table with changed surface texture and 50 m 40 km/h 42.4 km/h 22.2 km/h 31.3 km/h 40.9 km/h
colour in combination with pinch points
3. Speed table with changed surface texture and 40 m 40 km/h 48.2 km/h 23.2 km/h 30.4 km/h 47.3 km/h
colour
4. Two speed tables with changed surface texture 100 m 40 km/h 43.4 km/h 28.1 km/h 23.0 km/h 38.5 km/h
and colour in combination with round-top
humps

the differing characteristics of each site. Nevertheless, the results of this
research are consistent with past studies (Distefano and Leonardi, 2019;
Gonzalo-Orden et al., 2018), which have found that combination of
traffic calming measures are effective in bringing significant speed
reduction as shown in Table 3 below.
From Table 3, it is observed that all four combinations of speed table
successfully encouraged drivers to operate within the posted speed of 40
km/h, with average speeds of 25 km/h achieved at the centre of the
traffic calmed section for 3 study sites. Although site 4 is situated on a
horizontal curve, the visibility is adequate and drivers do not tend to
reduce their speeds along this road segment. On the contrary, the
average speed was slightly higher for Site 4, with drivers tending to
accelerate along the central part of the zone (at the horizontal curve)
where the road pavement is made of asphalt instead of the rough
textured coloured paving bricks. The lowest average speed has been
recorded for site 2, where the presence of the narrowing has forced
drivers to reduce their speeds considerably. It has also been observed for
Site 3 that is located at a junction, drivers who are travelling along the
priority road do not tend to reduce their vehicular speeds, with the
highest approach and departing speeds noted 50 m from the traffic
calmed zone both from approach and departure. The presence of junc­
tions at the other sites also do not seem to affect vehicular speeds along
priority roads from results obtained.
It is also observed that speeds tend to remain low within 25 m after
passing the zone, although a higher average speed was noted for site 1
due to the fact that drivers tend to accelerate while negotiating the
rumble strips. The lowest speed after the traffic calmed zones within a
distance of 25 and 50 m have been recorded for case study 4 where the
presence of round-top humps has induced drivers to reduce their speeds
while leaving the traffic calmed zone to maintain comfort.
Lastly, data collected indicate that the length of speed table is not the
governing factor influencing vehicular speeds, with similar magnitudes
notes at central zone of Sites 1, 2 and 3. However, the use of coloured
paving blocks and other traffic calming measures, which discourage
drivers to accelerate while negotiating the speed table is important as
shown at Site 4, where drivers tend to speed up as soon as they are
provided with the conditions to do so.
5.2. Public opinion and community acceptance
The characteristics for the 390 participants who participated in the
face-to-face interviews are provided in Table 4 below:
The results of the public opinion and acceptance survey are detailed
in Figs. 11–16 below:

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Table 4
Characteristics of participants in community acceptance survey.
ROAD USER TYPE
Pedestrians Cyclist/ Light Vehicles (cars, vans, etc) Other vehicles (minibus, light trucks, buses, etc)
GENDER AGE motorcyclist TOTAL

Male 18 – 29 19 23 31 12 85
30 – 44 9 23 19 10 61
45 – 60 11 11 16 8 46
>60 12 7 7 0 26
Female 18 – 29 32 0 40 2 74
30 – 44 21 0 20 3 44
45 – 60 22 0 7 1 30
>60 16 0 8 0 24
TOTAL 142 64 148 36 390

Fig. 11. Public perception on causes of road safety issues.

Fig. 12. Perception on the effectiveness of speed table combinations in reducing vehicular speeds.

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M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo Case Studies on Transport Policy 10 (2022) 1550–1565

Fig. 13. Public perception on effectiveness of road surfacing type in reducing vehicular speeds.

Fig. 14. Perception on the effectiveness of speed table combinations in reducing vehicular speeds for different road users.

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Fig. 15. Response on whether respondents agreed that speed table combinations caused too much inconvenience.
Fig. 16. Perception on the effectiveness of speed table combinations in reducing vehicular speeds.
6. Conclusion
6.1. Research findings
The study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of speed
tables in combination with other traffic calming devices for achieving
safe speeds. To achieve this, speed measurement data at four sites with
speed tables coupled with other devices were taken and speed profiles
were plotted. Road user opinions and community acceptance for the
different traffic calming measures being studied were also captured
through a face-to-face questionnaire survey at the sites.
Major conclusions derived from the study include:
• Speed reductions ranging between 30 and 45% were achieved at the
four sites, indicating that the speed table combinations are able to
achieve their purpose. Road users’ opinion also indicate that the
speed tables are considered as an effective means of reducing speeds,
with 70% of persons interviewed believing that the measures
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improve the road safety of residents in an area, pedestrians and other
road users.
• The use of rough textured and coloured surfacing helps to improve
speed reduction at the speed tables as compared to the use of asphalt
surface. This is due to the fact that there is a decrease in driver
comfort due to the rough surface, which is coupled with the visual
impact of the coloured surface. Interviewees have also concurred
with this finding and interestingly 67% have stated this riding sur­
face is still comfortable.
• Speed reduction has not been observed at rumble strips, with drivers
choosing to accelerate instead when negotiating this traffic calming
device. Moreover, the use of speed table in combination with rumble
strips is viewed as being the combination which causes most incon­
venience to road users in terms of noise and vibration. Hence, while
planning for new traffic calming schemes, authorities may opt to
avoid the inclusion of rumble strips.
• The use of road humps with speed tables at the start and end of a
traffic calmed zone has shown to decrease speeds substantially even
M.Z. Doomah and D.P. Paupoo
after the vehicles have left the zone over a distance of approximately
50 m due to drivers having to slow down significantly as a result of
the discomfort. People also perceive this combination of traffic
calming measures as being the most effective. However, 1 out of 3
persons view the humps as causing inconvenience in terms of noise
and vibration. Therefore, this method of traffic calming should be
limited to locations where drivers tend to drive at high speeds, with
no residential houses in the vicinity.
• The use of speed tables in combination with pinch points has yielded
good reduction in speed and provides ideal conditions for the in­
clusion of pedestrian crossings as the crossing length is reduced at the
pinch point. This measure can be considered when planning for new
pedestrian crossings.
6.2. Research limitations
The present study has offered greater understanding on the effec­
tiveness of speed table in combination with other traffic calming devices
for Mauritius. Nevertheless, there are some limitations of the study:
• Number of case study sites – Only four study sites have been analysed
as this type of traffic calming measures were relatively new in
Mauritius and had not yet been implemented on a large scale at the
time of the study. Similar sites should be identified and investigated
to ensure accuracy of the results.
• Sample homogeneity - In this study, sites were selected in different
locations where the environment and road users were not the same.
The effect of the environment factors and types of road users were
not investigated in this research and could form part of future
studies.
• Data collection methods - In the study, only the floating car method
with an android speedometer application was used for speed data
collection. Other methods exist for speed measurement but have not
been applied to identify any potential difference between methods as
they are more costly.
• Crash history analysis – No before and after analysis of crash records
at the sites was carried out because this study was carried out only a
few months after their implementation of the safety measures. Traffic
safety trends at traffic-calmed areas could be investigated to judge
the effectiveness in terms of crash reduction.
6.3. Research contributions
This study provides an important stepping-stone for policy makers,
planners and engineers in the implementation of traffic calming mea­
sures especially in Small Island Developing States like Mauritius where
limited resources are available for cutting down the death toll due to
road crashes. The findings have clearly indicated the speed reduction
potential of measures when implemented in combination. At the same
time, policy implementation is easier when the public accepts the pol­
icies and this study has shown that the community is in favour of the
implementation of traffic calming measures in order to improve road
safety. The main implications for policy makers are as follows:
• Speed table combinations are an effective means of bringing reduc­
tion in speeds and are also widely accepted by the community as a
measure for improving road safety.
• Use of rumble strips for speed reduction should not be favoured as
they fail to cause drivers to decelerate and at the same time cause
inconvenience to residents in terms of noise pollution.
• Although speed humps are highly effective in causing drivers to slow
down, they should not be implemented in residential areas due to the
inconvenience in terms of noise and vibration that are associated
with them.
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• Raised speed tables coupled with pinch points offer ideal conditions
for the provision of pedestrian crossings and should be considered for
implementation in urban areas with high pedestrian volumes.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the engineers of the Traffic Management and Road
Safety Unit in Mauritius for their support during the conduct of this
study.
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