Installed over nine months back traffic signals have become defunct

Avtar Bhat

JAMMU, May 11: Installed over nine months back to regulate traffic on busy Jammu roads, the traffic signals have almost become defunct in the city due to the lack of coordination between different departments responsible for their installation, maintenance and supervision.
Soon after their installation last year the traffic signals hit a controversy with Traffic Police expressing its apprehensions that instead of helping in regulating the traffic it would add to the traffic jams and chaos on city roads especially at four ways, sources said.
Later it was decided that the traffic lights on rotaries will be put on blinker for the time being to test the regulation of traffic as the huge traffic jams were reported at such rotaries after the installation of traffic signals, sources added.
Though earlier the traffic signals on rotaries and four ways like Court Road crossing at Janipur, Brig Rajinder Singh Chowk behind Civil Secretariat, Vivekananda Chowk, Jewel Chowk and Paloura were put on blinker but by and by the traffic signals on the other places like Main Stop Janipur, Buta Nagar Police Station Crossing, Shukuntala, Kachi Chawni Crossing, Talab Tillo Chowk, Ambphalla and Panama Chowk too were put on blinker continuously, sources added.
Except the few traffic signals that of Bikram Chowk, Railway Crossing, Gandhi Nagar crossing, Satwari at National Highway near Gandhi Nagar women College Chowk, Green Belt Park Chowk, Narwal Chowk and Sunjwan More are functioning. But the transporters also violate them with impunity sometimes as the traffic signals in other parts of the city have mostly become non functional.
However the authorities of these departments have noting to say except passing a buck against each other.
With traffic signals becoming non functional in major parts of the city it has now made people habitual of violating these signals with impunity at other chowks also where they are functional and the authorities are watching like a mute spectator forgetting that this would lead to any mishap.
It may be recalled that to regulate the traffic on busy City roads the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) had installed the traffic signals at 40 chowks in the City and its outskirts at an estimated cost of Rs 1.98 crore in July last year and this step was highly appreciated by the people. But after functioning for a month these lights in various chowks were put on blinker by the Traffic authorities on the plea that instead of helping in regulating traffic these lights have added to chaos and confusion.
The authorities earlier had decided to remove such signals at eight rotaries and in the first instance they were put on blinker. But later the signals on other chowks, rotaries and four ways were also put on blinker for reasons bet known to the authorities.
However when contacted the SSP Traffic, Manmohan Singh said that the lights were put on blinker in the city areas due to the ongoing works of sewerage drains by NBCC which has dug the roads. Soon after the work is complete the traffic lights will be restored.
The Commissioner JMC, Kuldeep Khajuria said that there is no problem from the side of JMC which has provided the infrastructure and all the traffic signals are functional. The Traffic signals have been handed over to Traffic Police and a contractor has been assigned the job of their maintenance for two years.

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