Good motoring
Remove confusing road signs
H.Kishie Singh

Informative road signs have to be rectangular in shape, not square, which is what Chandigarh has put up

Is it a riddle? Is it a quiz? Or is it a puzzle? One has enough time to ponder over the abbreviations that are displayed on signboards in our City Beautiful. GRN MKT, G CLUB, RGCT PARK, GMSH 16, IA1, IA2, TPT AREA are some of the abbreviations that should help you to get lost. Who will understand GMSH 16, PGI, H COURT, SECTT?

Further along Madhya Marg, the signboards display numbers 16, 17, 18, 10, 9, 8. I thought it was a mobile version of bingo, or could it be another version of sudoku for the amusement and entertainment of motorists if they were stuck in a traffic jam?

There are other abbreviations that are brainteasers for city dwellers as well as tourists. ASR and LDH. What do they mean? Signboards must conform to international standards. International road signs fall into three categories— mandatory, warning and informative.

Mandatory signs are circular and have a red border on a white background. They are orders. What to do and what not to do. Circular signs in blue but without a red border give positive instructions. The only exception is a stop sign. Being very important, it is all red in colour with a white border and octagonal in shape. Some years ago when this sign was put up in Chandigarh, motorists objected. Amazing. The authorities do not make rules, motorists do. Abroad, if you go through a stop sign without stopping, you lose your licence.

Informative signs have to be rectangular in shape, not square, which is what Chandigarh has put up. Signs for primary routes must be on a green background. Signs for motorways/highways must be on a blue background.

Signs are put up for the convenience of tourists who will have no idea of their bearings in a new city. What will a driver from UP visiting Chandigarh for the first time make of RGCT Park or IA1? What is ASR and LDH? Informatively, they stand for Amritsar and Ludhiana. What is the problem in writing the full name?

Chandigarh, as we locals know, is identified by its sectors. The numbers displayed on the signboards refer to the sectors. However, the word sector does not show up even once. This in spite of the fact that most of the square signboards are blank. The names of roads have been broken up.

Sarovar is written on one side, Path on the other. According to norms, the arrow with Sarovar should lead to the sarovar. In this case it means exactly the opposite. Sarovar Path North and Sarovar Path South would be correct and informative.

The signs at the airport roundabout are in every colour of the rainbow. The most important one on a red background reads, "Sewage treatment plant, Raipur Khurd". Is that vital information for people entering Chandigarh?

The only sign on a blue background is in front of The Tribune office and NH 21 as you enter Chandigarh from Zirakpur. It is oversized. It reads, "Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park". Also adorning the signboard is a huge graphically designed globe. This is not an informatory sign. It is an advertisement. Advertising on the roadside is banned in Chandigarh.

These signboards are a first for Chandigarh and possibly the world. Very unique and completely counter-productive. Lakhs of rupees have been spent to say nothing. It is like winking at a girl in the dark. The message simply does not get across.

Since these signboards serve no purpose, they have to be removed and proper signs displayed to promote tourism. For this professional help has to be sought. It cannot be left to the whims and fancies of a department which has no knowledge of roads, signs or the finer points of motoring.

Happy motoring.