The Times of India      17.09.2010

Most traffic lights don't work in city

GURGAON: Don't blame Gurgaon drivers if they are rash, blame the traffic lights instead. A huge number of traffic lights dont work at all. Traffic cops blame agencies like the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) for the mess.

We have to first take up the issue with HUDA and MCG officials. Then these agencies will take corrective measures. Its not like Delhi where traffic signals are also with the traffic police, added the officer

Traffic signals at many intersections are in pathetic state. Many of them intermittently go off causing traffic chaos. In several cases, its almost impossible to see the traffic lights even from a little distance. These need to be changed considering the rapid increase in traffic inside the city, said a traffic cop.

Some of the signals have timers, but they hardly work. As such almost all internal roads are overcrowded with private vehicles. So if a traffic light goes off, it only compounds the problem, said Pranay Kumar, an MNC executive living on Sohna Road.

Ideally, signals should be under the traffic police as we manage the traffic within the city. But as of now these are owned and managed by HUDA, said DCP (traffic) Bharti Arora told TOI.

HUDA administrator Nitin Yadav said that some of the traffic lights in the city have developed faults due to heavy downpour this year.

He added that the authority has been liberal in installing traffic signals as and when requests come from the traffic police wing.

We are planning to fix more timers at traffic signals and we have been taking up their maintenance seriously with the private player, Yadav claimed. However, he added that on several occasions traffic cops also put the signals on the switch-off mode for manual traffic management at crossings.