MC plans to install advanced traffic lights at 35 points in city

To manage the traffic in a better way, the municipal corporation (MC) has planned to install synchronised and sensor-based traffic lights at 35 points in the city.

The MC has called some companies to give presentation on the working of traffic lights in the coming week.

Giving this information, MC commissioner GK Singh, on Friday, said, "There is need to improve the traffic lights system of the city.The MC is likely to spend Rs 3 crore on this project."

Currently, several traffic lights are non-functioning. Yellow light signal are also not functioning at many traffic lights, while timers are functional only at a few traffic light points.

At present, traffic lights are available at only 27 traffic points of the city. Earlier, MC had also proposed to install traffic lights at new points on Ferozepur Road, but they were not installed.

However, MC is now planning to replace all the traffic lights as most of them are more than 25 years old. MC has identified eight new points where traffic lights were required.

Singh said, "We have planned to introduce the state-of-the-art traffic lights project. The new traffic lights will be sensor-based and synchronised. The advanced traffic lights will help reduce the traffic-related issues."

According to the traffic experts, the synchornisation of traffic lights was a big requirement due to heavy traffic flow on city roads, while HT had also highlighted about this earlier.

With the synchronisation, the traffic signals are strategically timed to turn green as the group of vehicles arrive at an intersection, and they get green signal on the next intersections, too, thus saving time and fuel.

In the new system, sensors inform the controller processor, whether vehicles are present, and it helps to adjust signal timing and phasing.

Assistant commissioner Satwant Singh said, "I was given a presentation, and now the presentation will be given in front of mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria, MC commissioner GK Singh and additional commissioner Ghanshyam Thori. After which they will take the next decision."

Sources said the MC is planning to spend the pending arrears recovered from residents on development works. MC can spend required amount for traffic lights project from recovered amount, said a source.

It is required to mention here that mishaps generally take place at various intersections due to non-functioning of existing traffic lights in the city.