The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 200 pelican signals to be installed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 02, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

200 pelican signals to be installed

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB. 1. To improve pedestrian safety, the Chennai City Traffic Police will install about 200 pelican signals in various parts of the city, Deputy Commissioner of Police-Traffic North, M. Ravi, said here today.

The department has identified about 1,500 points all over the city for putting up pelican signals but will only install 200 in the first phase, he said at a road safety programme at Loyola Evening College. Various busy points along the arterial roads, including Anna Salai, Poonamallee High Road and 100 Feet Road, will be tried out in the first phase.

The police have also launched a campaign against jaywalking and have booked about 100 persons in the past month. Gradually, people will be motivated to use only pedestrian crossings and not dart across the road at any point, he said.

More traffic lights

Besides, the police will install 60 additional traffic signals at various points. Several traffic lights were also being replaced by light emitting diodes to increase visibility and save electricity.

Mr. Ravi said a majority of the fatal accidents involving motorcycles and scooters were caused because the riders do not use helmets.

Indiscipline among road users and bad road conditions were among the major causes of accidents. Last year, over 600 fatal accidents were reported in the city.

The event was organised by the NSS unit of Loyola Evening College and the Lioness Council.

Answering questions at the end of the meeting, Mr. Ravi said cyclists were posing problems to traffic as they often crossed busy intersections without following the traffic lights or rode into no-entry zones.

Though cyclists do not come under the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act, the traffic police would sensitise them to traffic rules.

Alphonse Manickam, vice-principal, Loyola Evening College, said the NSS volunteers could carry the message across to the 6,000 students on the campus if they practised road safety rules. B. Jayaraj, Rector, Loyola College, asked the students to drive carefully.

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