Coimbatore City Police urge pedestrians to make use of pelican signals

The pelican signal at Varadharajapuram on Avinashi Road in Coimbatore city. | Photo Credit: Siva Saravanan S

With ‘U’ turns and roundabouts having replaced traditional traffic signals on major roads and junctions in Coimbatore city, the police are urging people to make use of the pelican signals that have been introduced at six places.

Pelican signals are currently functional on Dr. Nanjappa Road near Gandhipuram town bus stand, at Park Gate junction, Thudiyalur junction on Sathyamangalam Road, 11th cross on 100 Feet Road, Sungam and Varadharajapuram on Avinashi Road.

These signals were installed on a trial basis and the police plan to introduce them at other places based on the result, said a police officer.

At these signals, pedestrians can press buttons provided on the side of the roads to operate the red signal for 30 seconds. Green signal will be active after 30 seconds and pedestrians can activate the signal again after a gap of three minutes.

“The signal is easy to operate. But the only worry is that some vehicles do not stop when the signal turns red,” said G. Harini, a college student who used the pelican signal at Varadharajapuram.

Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan said the facility was introduced to enable safe crossing for pedestrians.

“We have plans to introduce one warning signal before the existing pelican signals, which will alert motorists of the pelican signal ahead of them,” he said.

According to him, the police have plans to introduce such signals at other places on Avinashi Road and in places where pedestrians cross the road in large numbers.

A traffic police officer said that motorists also should stick to the speed limit in the city so that they can halt vehicles without hustle when pelican signals are operated by pedestrians. As per the gazette issued by the District Collector on August 27, 2019, all motor vehicles plying inside Coimbatore city limits should not exceed the speed of 40 kmph.

On Dr. Nanjappa Road near Gandhipuram town bus stand, people are found scaling the median to cross the road even though a pelican signal has been provided.

G. Manuneethi, Divisional Engineer (Road Safety), Coimbatore Circle, said the height of the median can be increased at such places so that pedestrians cross the road only through a safe channel.

He added that more locations on Avinashi Road, including Lakshmi Mills junction, PSG College of Arts and Science and Sitra, could be potential locations to introduce pelican signals.