Dysfunctional traffic signals leave commuters baffled

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 11

Dysfunctional traffic signals at many chowks, especially near Hartej Hospital, have been causing inconvenience to commuters for the past at least four months. But the administration has turned a blind eye to the problem. 

A policeman said there were many signals in the city, the timings of which were required to be reset. He said at some chowks, the signals for both sides have different time laps. “Due to separate timings of red and green signals on both sides, sometimes it happens that the signals get green for all sides,” he added. 

Commuters have to cross an intersection to reach the Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport and urban localities on the Gumtala bypass. The faulty traffic lights often confuse drivers and traffic jams at the point have become a common site. 

“The place always remains crowded and people cross it carefully. But in the morning and late evening hours, the possibility of accidents increases due to dysfunctional traffic signals. Vehicles come at a rapid pace and roads are relatively empty at that times,” said advocate Kuljit Singh Malawali, who crosses the intersection daily. He said the authorities should find a solution to the problem. 

ADCP (Traffic) Jaswant Kaur said they had written to PWD officials about the defunct traffic lights as these come in their jurisdiction. “We have been told that the PWD has written to the Mumbai-based firm, which had installed these signals, to reset the timers,” she added. 

Residents feel that lack of coordination among the MC, PWD and traffic police often leads to a delay in getting these lights rectified.