E-way lit, but most traffic signals continue to blink

NOIDA: The Noida Authority has replaced traditional streetlights along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway with LEDs, but traffic signals in the city portray a difference picture.
Traffic lights at various junctions in Jhundpura, Sector 6 police chowki, Sector 27 main signal, Sector 19-27 crossing, Adobe intersection, Sector 57 intersection, 12/22/56 T-point, etc have not been working. Many of the lights have been defunct for months.

None of the signals at Adobe intersection, near Sandeep Paper Mills, the main Sector 27 crossing ahead of the DM office intersection, etc were found to be functioning. Travellers could be seen driving rashly, violating traffic rules at will.

Residents pointed out that many of these signals were not functioning either because their batteries needed to be recharged or their cables were cut. Manish Kumar, who regularly travels from Greater Noida (west) to NSEZ, told TOI that the two signals at the NSEZ T-point and Haldoni Morh had not been operating for the past three months.

“Since the strength of traffic police has increased, one can spot marshals managing traffic at these points. But with the signals not working, their job becomes tough. The signals that are functional can make things easier for the marshals too,” he said.

The traffic police said they had written multiple letters to the Authority to get these lights repaired, but only some of them have become functional over the past few days. Traffic inspector Layak Singh said lights at the signal becoming defunct was a perennial issue.

RP Singh, project engineer at the Authority who is in charge of traffic lights, said: “The repairs are in progress. It takes time to repair these lights as the batteries get stolen or the cables are cut. We are targeting at replacing all these lights with ‘chip-based, control-room monitored traffic signals.’”

The system is likely to be in place by 2019, a good nine months away.