VIJAYAWADA: ''Traffic signals at nearly 30 junctions in Vijayawada are not on par with the requirements of the fastest growing capital city. There is an urgent need to repair the defunct signals," Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Kanthi Rana Tata said.
Rana on Monday participated in a meeting convened by the City Mayor Koneru Sreedhar with Engineering, Town Planning and Public Health Department officials to discuss a comprehensive plan to curb traffic problems in the city.
Speaking on the occasion, the JCP said the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) conducted a survey at 63 junctions in Vijayawada, in November 2015, for the implementation of integrated and intelligent traffic management system and estimated Rs40 crore to execute the project. As on date, the project remained on paper. He underlined the need for developing signages and installing direction boards at various locations of the city to guide the vehicle users and streamline the traffic.
Rana stressed the need for constituting a body involving road transport officials, VMC and National Highway Authority of India to address the traffic problems. He called upon the civic body officials to conduct an impact assessment taking feasibility into consideration before developing roads across the city. The JCP also said that 'No Horn' zone should be implemented on pilot basis between Prakasam Barrage and Benz circle and replicate the same on Eluru Road and BRTS Road depending upon the response from the public.
City Mayor Koneru Sreedhar said that VMC is not in a position to invest money for construction of subways and felt financial assistance can be taken from CRDA for sub-ways. He said the government should allocate some percentage of the road tax to Vijayawada Municipal corporation as the civic body is spending crores of rupees for laying roads and maintenance of roads but the government is collecting the road tax.