NEW DELHI: If plans for upgradation of signals are successful, then traffic lights may function properly in the capital soon. Unhappy with the poor performance, Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar has directed traffic police to review the traffic cycle and phase of all the traffic lights in the city. Emphasizing on the traffic light management, the CP has said that a new agency may soon be roped in to ensure their proper maintenance.
Traffic cops have been instructed to analyze the traffic cycle and phase length required at each signal for the upgradation. After receiving several complaints against the working of current signals — that they are not attuned to the traffic situation in the crossings, breakdown of signals are not attended in time, quality of the signals (like display of light) is not optimum etc— it has been decided that the contract for the maintenance of the signals may be awarded to a new contractor and replace CMS Traffic Systems and Keltron that have been maintaining the signals for the last 20 years.
Of late, the traffic police had been unhappy with their performance with complaints of signals not working have been on a rise. In the last seven days, 34 signals under CMS and 20 signals under Keltron have been found to be defunct, said sources in traffic police. “On an average, around 10% signals are not functional,” said an official.
The new firm will have to fulfill the technical criteria before being formally awarded the contract. Till now, the agency has been responsible for 50 signals in Kolkata. In Delhi, they will have to look after 780 signals and 390 blinkers. “Traffic police will ensure that the agency has the capacity to maintain so many signals. The agency has no prior experience in maintaining signals in Delhi,” added the official.
Currently, the maintenance contract states that all minor faults must be corrected within six hours of receipt of complaint, and for all major faults the rectification must take place within 2 days. If any traffic signal remains non-functional for over five days, a penalty of Rs 500 per day will be charged. Even after a work contract is awarded, delays will not be tolerated.
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