‘Pelican’ traffic lights: Is it much ado about nothing?

‘Pelican’ traffic lights: Is it much ado about nothing?
The Times of India

Bangalore: Remember the ‘Pelican’ traffic system introduced by the city police with much ado a week ago? Implementation of this pedestrian-friendly system has been hit by initial hiccups. In the absence of an instructions board, pedestrians have been unable to use these lights to the desired level.

‘Pelican’ lights have been installed on nine roads viz, Queens Road (near Kamala Bhai School), Police Commissioner’s office on Infantry Road, Kempe Gowda Road near taluk office, Residency Road (near Bishop Cottons Girls School), Richmond Road, Convent Road, Ring Road (K.R. Puram, Tin factory), Ulsoor bus stand, near Cantonment railway station and Cunningham Road (near Wockhardt Hospital).

Two such traffic lights have been bogged down by technical snags and will be rectified in a few days, sources in the traffic police department said. “There are no instructions to tell people how to use the new system,’’ a hapless pedestrian on Richmond Road said. As a result, people keep waiting endlessly near the signal, he added.

“We will erect instruction boards wherever ‘Pelican’ traffic signals have been installed. Also, we will post traffic cops near these lights from Friday to help pedestrians,’’ DCP, Traffic (East) M.A. Saleem said. Based on the feedback, similar systems will be introduced in other parts of the city, Saleem added.

Crackdown on erring drivers: The high incidence of fatal accidents on city roads during the wee hours of the day when motorists violate rules, spurred the traffic police to launch a drive against erring drivers on Thursday morning.