Because 1,200 permanent signals aren't enough, Mumbai gets first set of portable stoplights to assist in easing out nightmarish jams no matter where they occur
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If you've been zipping willy-nilly across parts of the city that have been signal-free for years, don't be surprised at a red light suddenly popping up to stop you in your tracks. That's a portable signal, the traffic police's ingenious idea to help them cope with the nightmare that the city's traffic situation has turned into. "These are signals on wheels, and can be rolled into areas where there is no scope or need to install permanent signals, but which require traffic regulation during certain times, dates or events," said a senior official from the Mumbai traffic police. According to traffic police authorities, the department has already procured around a dozen of these.
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Mumbai has more than 1,200 permanent signals, yet these are not enough to regulate the 28 lakh vehicles on 2,000 km of its road network. Thanks to work on the innumerable metro lines, road repairs and utility work, the roads have turned into a huge maze, confusing both motorists and traffic police.
Traffic police officials said the signals are used during IPL matches, political rallies and religious processions, in the event a bridge or flyover is being repaired or for diverting traffic during the ongoing metro work. "It is impossible for the police to regulate traffic round the clock. Hence, the use of technology and related equipment helps ease the burden on the personnel manning the streets and vehicles," the officer said.
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Sanjay Jadhav, DCP traffic (north), said, "We have already started using these portable signals. We have found them particularly useful when traffic has to be diverted during the ongoing metro work." He added that these movable signals operate on batteries and can be deployed as and when required.
Mumbai is not the first city to have signals on wheels. In 2011, Chennai had introduced them on its streets as the city was facing erratic power supply because of which traffic signals had stopped functioning, leading to chaos on the roads.
Traffic experts have welcomed the move, but insisted that concrete solutions were required to deal with the traffic menace. "This is a good exercise, but, what is really needed is deployment of more policemen," said Ashok Datar, a Mumbai-based traffic expert.
Many in the traffic department believe that these portable signals will not only regulate traffic but even help reduce accidents.
"At many junctions, there are no signals, and the traffic police are deployed to regulate vehicular movement. But, the moment the policemen leave, the scene descends into chaos, even leading to fights and at times, accidents. These signals greatly help curb this menace," the officials said.
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