Commuters suffer as Ludhiana’s smart traffic light project faces delay
The municipal corporation (MC) had issued a one-year work order for the project in March last year, but with just two months left before the tender expires, more than half of the work remains undone
The much-hyped adaptive traffic control system (ATCS) project, launched in March last year to improve traffic management in the city, remains far from completion. Despite a budget of ₹7.48 crore under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), only 16 out of 42 traffic junctions have received sensor-based traffic lights. The project, aimed at easing congestion and improving road safety, is progressing at a sluggish pace, causing inconvenience to commuters.
The municipal corporation (MC) had issued a one-year work order for the project in March last year, but with just two months left before the tender expires, more than half of the work remains undone.
MC officials cite multiple reasons for the delay, including pending no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the need for redesigning intersections and traffic islands, and ongoing traffic audits.
Process halted due to multiple reasons: XEN
Manjitinder Singh, executive engineer of the civic body, stated, “The installation of the remaining sensor-based traffic lights has been delayed due to multiple reasons, including a re-audit of the traffic wing, changes in intersection designs, and pending approvals from NHAI. We will instruct the contractor to remove defunct traffic lights to avoid further inconvenience.”
Adding to the problem, several new sensor-based traffic lights have been installed while the old, non-functional ones remain in place. This has reduced space for vehicles and pedestrians at key intersections, further complicating traffic movement. Commuters have complained about increased congestion and confusion at these junctions.
Key intersections still await smart traffic lights
The ATCS system was meant to be implemented at 42 key junctions, including:
Major chowks: Durga Mata Mandir Chowk, Jagraon Bridge, Bharat Nagar Chowk, DC Office Chowk, Bhai Bala Chowk, and Mall Road.
Busy commercial and residential areas: PAU Gate Number 2 and 4, Dugri Chowk, Vishwakarma Chowk, Kitchlu Nagar, Sunet Chowk, and Rajguru Nagar Chowk.
High-traffic zones: Samrala Chowk, Gill Chowk, Pratap Chowk, and Mint Gumri Chowk.
Despite the urgency of the project, commuters continue to struggle with unregulated traffic flow at these junctions.
Residents and daily commuters have raised concerns over the delayed execution of the project, questioning the lack of accountability and inefficiency of the civic authorities.
Harpreet Singh, a local commuter, said, “At many junctions, the traffic lights are installed but not operational, while the old lights are still there, making it confusing for motorists. The authorities need to speed up the work before more accidents happen.”
Neha Sharma, a pedestrian, said, “The old poles take up space, and the new lights don’t function properly. Many people are forced to cross busy roads without proper signals, risking their lives.”
With just two months left for the tender deadline, the corporation faces increasing pressure to complete the installation of smart traffic lights and remove non-functional ones. Residents demand immediate action to avoid further inconvenience and ensure safer roads.
The authorities must now prioritise pending approvals and accelerate the remaining work to bring relief to the city’s commuters.
