Unfunctional traffic lights: A green signal for accidents

Unfunctional traffic lights: A green signal for accidents
Monday June 25 2007 09:45 IST

BANGALORE: Accidents during night time are not only because of drunken driving and unscientific speed breakers, but also due to inefficient traffic signals.

On the city roads, it is common to find signals which do not work. Commuters feel the traffic department should ensure that the traffic lights work all the time in order to avoid traffic snarls.

Many traffic lights on busy city roads like Kempe Gowda Road, Banaswadi, Magadi Road, Rajajinagar and Jayanagar are often not operational.

Shanthi R, a commuter, said speeding buses and cars often obstruct traffic at intersections, especially during night hours.

“I have been stranded many times because of such situations. This can be seen even in the mornings because there neither policemen man the traffic nor the lights work,” she said.

The situation gets worse during monsoons when the traffic pressure is more. “I met with an accident sometime ago as a speeding car hit me. The department should ensure that traffic policemen are deputed on duty when the traffic lights are not working,” said Venkatesh R, a motorist.

On the other hand, the police often switch off signals during peak hours because they cannot handle the heavy traffic flow.

At night time, however, it is the reverse: the waiting time at traffic lights, set to the daytime traffic flow, become redundant as there are fewer vehicles on the roads.