Chandigarh roads give ‘mixed signals’ to commuters

178 stretches have no speed signages, 175 don’t have boards for two-wheelers and 637 show a mismatch between the displayed speed-limit and official notified data

As many as 178 road stretches in the city have no speed signages, 175 don’t have boards for two-wheelers and 637 show a mismatch between the displayed speed-limit and official notified data. This was revealed by Lepton Software, the firm executing the speed-limit mapping project in Chandigarh in collaboration with Google Maps, during the district road safety committee meeting held on Tuesday.

Misleading signages have been a concern for commuters. (HT File)

Taking a serious note of the lapses, deputy commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav directed the engineering department, traffic police, and other civic agencies to take immediate corrective action. He said that accurate speed limit signage is crucial for commuter safety and law enforcement.

During the meeting other road safety concerns were also raised. These included the illegal parking and encroachment at Sector 29/30 light point, where the engineering department has been tasked with constructing a boundary wall and installing iron railings to prevent unauthorised parking. The sub divisional magistrate (SDM, East) and other stakeholders will also conduct a joint survey here.

At the Sector 9/10 dividing road, where a hit-and-run involving a BMW was reported in May this year, the chief engineer was directed to introduce speed-calming measures such as installation of 15 mm raised strips.

The committee also decided on strict action against an illegal taxi stand near Novotel Hotel, Tribune Chowk. In wake of the traffic snarls near the Dhanas liquor vend where there is barely any parking space for buyers, the DC instructed the excise department to exclude this location for further allotments and identify an alternative site.