Non-functional traffic signals baffle commuters at city roads

Islamabad : In an era of ultramodern gadgets to ensure road safety and minimum accidents, the federal capital still lacks an efficient and functional signalling system, which eventually baffles the commuters at major city roads.

The dilapidated and faulty signals fully expose road management system which put the commuters in enigma, posing a serious threat to them.

Interestingly, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) are apparently at loggerheads with regard to exact number of faulty signals and its operational mechanism, instead of sorting out a permanent solution to the lingering problem.

There were more than 100 signals at different intersection of Islamabad, out of which only 53 were fully functional, adversely affecting the performance of understaffed ITP, Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Furrukh Rashid told this agency.

Furrukh pointed out that most of the signals were turned off during daytime since more than half were connected with street lights.

Terming it an archaic strategy, he urged the civic agency to rectify the situation and replace the facility with smart signals for the city.

To a query, he said ITP had repeatedly written to agency for repairing old and installing new signals at various spots but there seemed to be no action so far.

Furrukh said the ITP had submitted its demand to the CDA for repairing the signals installed in different areas including Secretariat Chowk, Express Chowk, Abpara Chowk, GPO Chowk, Saudi-Pak Tower Chowk, G-11 Chowk, China Chowk, G-10/3 Chowk, E-11 Margall chowk, F-10 Markaz Chowk and many others, especially at service roads of the city.

The demand, he said, also carried the installation of facility at various intersections including NADRA Headquarters Chowk, Chowk at Embassy Road, Faisal Avenue near Fish Belly U-turn, Gohar Shaheed Chowk No 2, Project Chowk No 2 on Service Road, Hilal Road F-11/2-3 and others.

The SSP said the ITP had also requested the agency to adjust timing of several signals operational in the areas of Melody, G-10, G-11, F-10 and others.

He said ITP was educating the motorists regarding traffic rules but facing hardship to ensure the enforcement of rules in the absence of well-maintained infrastructure.

The miseries of traffic police did not end here, he said while responding to a query about deployment of wardens at major crossings of the capital.

With 628 traffic personnel, he said, the ITP was managing over 286 spots round-the-clock in two 12-hour-long shifts while 89 points are regulated partially.

Some 131 spots, mostly in the rural areas of the city, go unattended due to a shortage of staff, he added.

He said at least six sergeants were required to be deployed at large intersections and four at small ones, while currently that ratio was four and one respectively.

An official from the traffic engineering wing of the CDA admitted that the ITP had highlighted the issue and submitted demands of new signals, but he contested the number of non-functional signals given by the ITP and said there were total 104 signals installed in Zone-I out of which 80-85 were working, 16 out of order and 13 had been closed due to certain reasons.

He negated the fact that the traffic signals were connected with street lights.

When contacted the CDA, the sources said the authority had taken an initiative of installing 20 smart signals in the federal capital which would soon be erected in the city after finalization of its codal formalities.

The initiative would be expanded after getting public feedback on it.

Meanwhile, the residents of the capital also expressed concerns over the non-operational signals and urged the authorities concerned to repair them.

Raja Akhtar, a resident of G-/7-2, complained that a number of crossing points in the capital were still without signals and traffic personnel.

Akhtar said he had lodged complaints about the non-functional signals but no action was taken so far.