Pune: A survey of signals in several junctions in the city by the Save Pune Traffic Movement (SPTM) has revealed that only 6 per cent of such junctions have a pedestrian signal and out of that only four intersections have adequate timings for pedestrians to cross the road safely.
SPTM has demanded that the Pune city traffic police should register complaints about non-functional pedestrian signals just like they do about the signals for motorists. In a tweet addressed to Pune Police and Pune Municipal Corporation SPTM has tweeted that "Only 6 per cent pedestrian signals are installed in Pune city. @PuneCityTraffic should register complaints about Pedestrian signals too, and @PMCPune should also repair them proactively. SPTM is taking this up. We will get Pune the best pedestrian signals in the country!"
There are about 260 junctions in the city where signals for motorists have been installed. Out of these, SPTM has surveyed 107 as due to lockdown in July not all signals were operational. No audio alarm systems have been installed for visually impaired or blind pedestrians. According to Indian Road Congress guidelines, a minimum of 20 seconds should be given to pedestrians to cross the road intersection safely, but in Pune this time is 11 seconds, almost the half of the prescribed timings.
Harshad Abhyankar, Director of SPTM said, "The Pune city traffic police register a complaint about the non-functioning signals for motorists but they do not register such complaints for pedestrian signals. Several pedestrian signals which are not working should be repaired by the Pune Municipal Corporation suo motu instead of waiting for an official complaint to be filed by someone. It should be always remembered that pedestrians are an important component of the traffic system and this statement should not become a mere slogan for the road traffic safety week programs."
When asked about the non-functioning pedestrian signals, PMC's Electrical Department Head Srinivas Kandul said, "All signals in the city will be synchronised under the Advanced Traffic Management system of Smart City project. The administrative process for signal synchronisation is going on. After this process is over, all signals will be synchronised and pedestrians will get adequate time to cross the road."
Suggestions from Save Pune Traffic Movement:
• There should be adequate time provided for pedestrians between the red and green signal time cycle
• There should a countdown timer installed on signals for pedestrians indicating the time left for crossing the road
• All signals should be synchronised
• Audio alarm systems should be installed at signals for pedestrians who are visually impaired or blind
