Traffic jams: Blame it on the signals
Traffic jams: Blame it on the signals
Express News Service First Published : 19 Jun 2009 05:09:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 19 Jun 2009 08:37:18 AM IST
BANGALORE: The next time you are stuck in a traffic jam and the red light of the traffic signal keeps chasing you from one junction to another, you can blame the Bangalore City Traffic Police (BCTP) for the mess, say traffic experts.
The BCTP which has installed new solar operated Light Emitting Diode (LED) traffic signals has come under criticism for not synchronising the signals. Under the B-TRAC 2010 project, the BCTP has installed 138 new signals and 500 blinkers.
According to Prof MN Sreehari, a traffic engineering expert, the installations of traffic signals and blinkers require a scientific study, which was not followed by the BCTP or the implementing agency Bharat Electronics Limited.
“Foremost, synchronisation of signals is very important if the signals are installed at regular intervals, which is not done here. Unfortunately, it has become a mess in the junctions and is not serving any purpose,” Sreehari said.
He said that due to this the waiting time at signals is increasing by the day, and sometimes the traffic piles up to the previous junction. Sreehari also said that the traffic signal poles in the city are not painted yellow as per the norms.
However, the police, does not agree with Sreehari’s views. Speaking to the Express, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic & Security) Praveen Sood said that before installation of traffic signals and blinkers, three levels of surveys are done.
“There are 40,000 junctions in Bangalore.
The surveys are done taking police requirement, public requirement and feasibility study by the transportation experts into considerations,” he said.
Sood also said that all the signals are of standardised design and as per Indian Road Congress (IRC) specifications.
For seamless traffic the BCTP is removing signals from flyovers, underpasses and the roads where construction for the Metro rail is going on.
posted by The Bangalorean @ 6/19/2009 06:42:00 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Also the signals operate unscientifically.
The yellow light is just a formality, when changing from RED to GREEN it isn't on for a long enough time to switch on engine.
And when turning from GREEN to RED also the time is so short that people always overshoot white line or get hit by vehicle from behind due to sudden braking.
For both these problems yellow light must be made to be on for at-least 10 seconds.
Also some places the signal post is not properly visible. Near my house at a junction it is placed on the RIGHT side of the road!! A person coming on the road for the first time will NEVER see it!
Other problems at signaled junctions include Pedestrian signals that switch on immediately as soon as traffic signal is RED, but traffic would not have come to halt yet, and that too the pedestrian signals are green for 15 seconds including time motorists 'jump' RED signal. Rendering them useless.
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