The recent incident where a school bus full of children got stuck in a flooded underpass had appalled many. Fire officials had to be commissioned to rescue 11 children in boats, as parents anxiously waiting for their children to be brought out of the large pool. In order to prevent similar untoward incidents, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will now have talking traffic lights, alarms and large display boards installed at these underpasses.
The sensor-based traffic lights will involve large LED boards that flash
'underpass closed' signals, along with a pre-recorded message that
warns cyclists, pedestrians and motorists to avoid entering the
underpass. "Generally one cannot gauge the depth of the waters in the
underpass. Many motorists think that they will be able to make it
through, but get stuck," said Brijesh Langa, a resident of Naranpura.
The underpasses that have been chosen for the installation of these
lights are those in Maninagar, Kubernagar, Akbarnagar, Stadium,
Nirnaynagar and Usmanpura. "These underpasses have been chosen as they
are notorious for getting inundated during monsoons. We have avoided
Mithakali and Parimal crossroads, which will be taken up in the upcoming
phase," said a senior AMC official.
AMC officials explained that the Japanese government was to design a Rs 11 crore traffic management system, which used real-time data of traffic volumes on different roads to redirect traffic to less congested roads. "This project has not taken off yet. These large displays would warn commuters at a traffic junction of congestion ahead on the road and suggest alternate routes," said the senior AMC official.
One of the first initiatives of talking traffic lights was introduced at the crossroads near the Blind People's Association (BPA). The audio warning system would remind commuters to slow down as blind people may be crossing the street. It was one of the first such systems installed in the country in the early 1990s. But by 2007, the system became erratic and started malfunctioning, later stopping altogether later. Soon after a flyover was commissioned at the junction in 2011, the system was completely eliminated, leaving many blind people in a lurch.
AMC officials explained that the Japanese government was to design a Rs 11 crore traffic management system, which used real-time data of traffic volumes on different roads to redirect traffic to less congested roads. "This project has not taken off yet. These large displays would warn commuters at a traffic junction of congestion ahead on the road and suggest alternate routes," said the senior AMC official.
One of the first initiatives of talking traffic lights was introduced at the crossroads near the Blind People's Association (BPA). The audio warning system would remind commuters to slow down as blind people may be crossing the street. It was one of the first such systems installed in the country in the early 1990s. But by 2007, the system became erratic and started malfunctioning, later stopping altogether later. Soon after a flyover was commissioned at the junction in 2011, the system was completely eliminated, leaving many blind people in a lurch.
Source : TOI , 5th August 2013
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