Wouldn’t it make you feel good if you could stop traffic at your will and cross the road? As good as it sounds, the concept has not taken off in the city due to lack of awareness.
Traffic signals controlled by pedestrians are called Pelican crossings. To cross the road, pedestrians need to simply push a button and wait a few minutes for the traffic light to turn red and stop oncoming traffic.
Though Pelican crossings are common abroad, in Chennai, it was introduced in 2009, in just a few places such as Besant Avenue Road and Beach Road.
“Few knew how to use it, and so, it was removed,” says a traffic officer. Such signals are useful near schools, hospitals and places where people gather in large numbers. “It was tried in Kerala and Bangalore too,” he says.
However, the larger issue is the lack of road discipline among motorists, say transport experts. “This is the main reason for the failure of the Pelican crossing in the city. Motorists will stop at a red light only if they spot a traffic policeman on duty,” says K.P. Subramanian, former professor at Anna University’s urban engineering department.
Experts say visually-challenged persons would benefit greatly from audio messages that are integrated with traffic signals at Pelican crossings. “These signals were introduced in 2009. But it is a very rare sight in the city now,” says another traffic police officer.
Improved pedestrian amenities in the pipeline
Traffic lights in Lisbon, Portugal, are stopping pedestrians in their tracks with signals that groove.
Called ‘dancing traffic lights’, these are in stark contrast with the staid pedestrian signals at most junctions.
The dancing lights have been installed by car-maker Daimler AG at a few traffic signals in Lisbon, on a trial basis, with an aim to keep pedestrians ‘engaged’ while waiting to cross the road, and prevent them from making a dash before the green signal comes on.
Compare this with the situation in our city where pedestrians have the toughest time on the road. In the absence of proper footpaths and pedestrian signals, and with Metro Rail work taking up space on various arterial stretches, pedestrians risk their safety while attempting to cross the road.
However, not all hope is lost as the Chennai Corporation, in association with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), proposes to help the pedestrians’ cause with the non-motorised transport policy.
The policy aims at improving infrastructure facilities for pedestrians and cyclists by creating footpaths, cycle tracks and pedestrian signals.
The policy points out that the civic body will coordinate with the traffic police to focus on safety of pedestrians and cyclists by increasing the duration of pedestrian signals for safe movement, and also create awareness among motorists on giving the right-of-way to pedestrians in places where signals are not available.
Shreya Gadepalli, regional director, ITDP, says the Corporation is working closely with Chennai Metro Rail Limited to identify necessary pedestrian facilities around Metro stations.
