A file photograph of a jam-packed road due to the ongoing metro works. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: Due to the ongoing Metro Rail works across the city, Hyderabad Traffic Police has decided to operate traffic signals at many locations in the city manually rather than using countdown timers. There are 225 junctions in the city where the timers have been fixed onto traffic signals as part of the Hyderabad Traffic Integrated Management System.
Mr A.V. Ranganath, DCP, Traffic-II, said, “As the Metro works are going on at almost all important junctions of the city, the traffic flow is highly variable. There might be heavy traffic on one side of the road because of the works resulting in jam packed traffic, whereas on the other side it might be normal. Roads have also become narrower and the rows of vehicles waiting at traffic signals have extended from the usual about 100 meters to 300 meters. So it has been decided that traffic police personnel will operate the signals manually depending upon their judgment of the prevailing traffic rather than allowing the computerized timers do it.”
Of the 225 junctions at 125 traffic signals where Metro Rail works are going on, the countdown timers have been switched off and they are being operated manually. A few traffic signals which are located very close to these 125 signals are also being manually operated. There are also about 20-25 signals where the timers have technical glitches and a traffic official said that a team of Bharat Electronics Limited has been called in to repair them. The timers will be non-operational based on completion of works at various junctions.
Till then, the environment will be the ultimate sufferer as a main aim of the timers at traffic signals is to ensure that people know when the red signal will turn green so that they can keep their engines turned off till then so that there is a cut in vehicular emissions which send out harmful gases like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matter. With no timers many motorists keep their engines on and some two wheeler drivers even keep accelerating in anticipation of the red signal turning green.
Road blockade by Metro creates jam
Metro Rail workers have closed one way of the road, from the Khairatabad Circle passing to Shadan College up to the Muslim graveyard right turn, without any traffic diversion signs. As a result, two RTC buses had collided near the Khairatabad petrol bunk a day before Diwali, leading to a severe traffic jam. The pillar construction opposite the graveyard is also causing major traffic snarls.
T. Praveen Kumar from Methodist Colony, Begumpet said, “Even under the Begumpet (Lifestyle) flyover, the U-turn toward Kundan Bagh (opposite Country Club) where the pillars are being laid, is closed every night and commuters have to take a wrong way back to the Begumpet (Lifestyle) crossroads. There is no sign or diversion board at the cross roads, a Metro official stands below the flyover and alerts the traffic.”
The road from the NTR statue, Begumpet till the US consulate has been damaged due to works taken up by the Water Board earlier. The road is full of stones as relaying has not been done. This is leading to traffic jams. Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) had earlier promised that traffic marshals would be deployed to control traffic at all construction spots, but not many are seen.
Managing director of HMR, Mr N.V.S. Reddy said, “Signboards are usually put up at all construction sites. L&T was asked to deploy traffic marshals wherever needed. The HMR and traffic department will conduct an inspection soon to check the difficulties. The NTR statue route is damaged as the city Water Board had taken up repairs.”
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wheeler drivers even keep accelerating in anticipation of the red signal turning green.
