KOZHIKODE: Adding to the woes of the city, which sees frequent traffic snarls, the signal lights installed at main junctions have stopped functioning. Officials say that the delay in allocating funds for the repair and reinstallation of signal lights at major junctions has made life hell for the public and the police.
Of the 10 signal lights installed at arterial junctions in the city, seven are dysfunctional now, according to the officials. Owing to this, vehicular movement gets halted at these congested areas and the police officials on duty here have a tough time.
The busy Eranhipalam Junction, Mavoor Road, Stadium Junction and Pushpa Junction and Vengeri, Thondayad and Malaparamba Junctions on Kozhikode Bypass are manned by traffic signals. However, the signals at Eranhipalam Junction, Mavoor Road and Vengeri have ceased functioning owing to the delay in carrying out repair works. The assured life of a traffic signal light is five years and all these signals were installed nearly six years ago.
Ramdas Vengeri, general convener of Voice of ‘Vengeri’, has complained that the faulty traffic signal light on Vengeri was often causing mishaps on Kozhikode Bypass, through which thousands of vehicles pass daily. “The authorities should repair the faulty signals”, he urged.
Keltron, the government agency that installed the traffic signal lights in the city, has already submitted a letter demanding maintenance cost for repairing the lights and quotations to reinstall the lights, but there has been no action. Sources say the annual maintenance contract with Keltron has already ended. The delay caused in allotting the fund by District Road Safety Committee has created the issue. In Kozhikode, the signal lights are maintained by City Corporation and Road Safety Committee.
A proposal to repair all the traffic signal lights and installing new ones is before the Road Safety Committee. Kozhikode RTO K Premanandan said that it was the Traffic Police who should take action to repair the signal lights.
City Traffic Police has allocated a sum of Rs 33 lakh to repair the lights, signal boards and dividers on the roads. But officials admit that this amount is inadequate. A K Babu, ACP, City Traffic (South) said they will sort out the issue soon.
Meanwhile, District Collector N Prasanth convened a meeting of Road Safety Committee on Thursday to sort out the issue.