The Deccan Chronicle 12.08.2010
Defunct traffic lights risk livesHyderabad, Aug. 11: Traffic signals in 18 junctions in the city have blinked out, putting the lives of lakhs of motorists in danger.
What’s more, at several junctions the traffic police themselves switch off signals during peak hours saying that manual regulation was essential to ensure smooth flow through the roads.
There are 148 signals in Hyderabad and another 50 in Cyberabad limits. In Hyderabad, signals are not functioning in 18 junctions and another 14 have gone kaput in Cyberabad limits.
The traffic police passed the buck to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) stating it was the responsibility of the civic body to maintain traffic signals.
However, the corporation authorities said a single agency was in charge of maintaining signals instead of four private agencies earlier. This agency is taking time to replace faulty signals and bring uniformity in signal technology, they said.
The corporators too are unhappy with non-functioning of signals and expressed their dismay over GHMC investing money and maintaining signals without seeking any financial support from traffic police.
The traffic police collects Rs 20 crore on an average per annum towards challans for various traffic violations.
Corporators felt that the GHMC should seek its share of the revenue or ask the traffic police to take care of signal maintenance.
The additional commissioner of police (traffic), Mr C.V. Anand, said all the money collected was sent to government and the traffic police does not get a single penny from it.
“Whenever there any problem with signal functioning, we immediately bring it to the notice of GHMC,” he said. “Besides, it was the government decision that GHMC would maintain signals.”
