100 signals develop snags every day

An average of over 100 traffic signals remain defunct daily in the national Capital, causing massive inconvenience to commuters during peak hours.

An average of over 100 traffic signals remain defunct daily in the national Capital, causing massive inconvenience to commuters during peak hours.

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After over three years of longing for an intelligent traffic system (ITS), the city is yet to get rid of the age-old problem of snag-hit traffic signals.

While the two former chiefs of Delhi police had spent their respective tenures promising installation of Rs. 2 crore ITS project in the national Capital, the new commissioner Neeraj Kumar has different priority in mind.According to him, his first priority would be to ensure proper and better functioning of the existing traffic lights rather than talking about ITS. "It's not that ITS is not needed but it's a long drawn process. The need of the hour is to ensure improvement in the existing traffic signals," said Kumar.

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Delhi has a total of 780 signals of which, according to traffic police sources, an average of over 100 remain non-functional daily due to major or minor faults. Two agencies -CMS and Keltron - maintain and run them but the traffic signals have consistently recorded poor performance, officials said.

The commissioner further said that many signals are not tuned to the traffic situation in Delhi. To change that, he wants the involvement of field officials. "They are better aware about the condition of signals they man. Signal timings will be set as per their feedback," said a senior officer of the traffic wing of Delhi police, who is closely working with the commissioner on this project.