Ludhiana: 3 months on, Hero Bakery Chowk smart lights yet to be operational

Officials cite poll code as the reason behind delay; 41 more lights still to be installed at a cost of over ₹7 crore

Strap: Officials cite poll code as the reason behind delay; 41 more lights yet to be installed at a cost of over ₹7 crore

Locals allege that the delay in the project has led to traffic snarls in the city. (Manish/HT)

Despite being inaugurated three months ago, the sensor-based smart traffic lights installed at the Hero Bakery Chowk under the Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS) project are still to be made operational. The municipal corporation inaugurated the project with the installation of the first smart light at the Hero Bakery Chowk in Sarabha Nagar on March 12 this year, just ahead of poll code implementation.

As part of the project being taken up at a cost of ₹7. 48 crore under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), smart traffic lights are to be installed at 42 main intersections in the city.

After three months of the project’s initiation, only one smart light has been installed so far. The MC has set a deadline of one year from the start of the project to install all 42 traffic lights and make them operational.

MC executive engineer Manjitinder Singh said the delay was caused due to the poll code and some changes to the planned locations for the lights. “The electricity lines have been installed but the project stands delayed due to the Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, our traffic experts are planning some changes to the locations where these lights would be installed. The project would resume and be completed soon after the elections,” he said.

With the delay in the project, residents and commuters expressed concern over the traffic snarls at most junctions. Hitting out at the MC, city resident Kuldeep Singh Khaira said, “The MC has failed to complete its projects on time. This project inaugurated three months ago still hasn’t seen progress. It shows the MC’s lackadaisical attitude. The MC should at least make the light inaugurated by its commissioner and area MLA operational.”

The 42 intersections where the traffic lights are to be installed as per the current plan include Durga Mata Mandir, Jagraon Bridge, Bharat Nagar Chowk, DC Office Chowk, Bhai Bala Chowk, Kaka Marriage Palace Chowk, Malhar Road, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gate numbers 2 and 4, Gurdwara Sarabha Nagar Road, ESI Hospital, Dugri Chowk, Dugri Urban Estate Phase -1 Chowk, Dana Mandi Chowk, Janta Nagar, Pahwa Chowk, Vardhman Chowk, Police Colony Jamalpur, Veer Palace, Jamalpur Chowk, Dholewal Chowk, Manju Cinema Chowk, Vishwakarma Chowk, Session Chowk, Dandi Swami, Haibowal Chowk, Kitchlu Nagar, Mall Road, Saggu Chowk, Udham Singh Nagar near Meritorious School, Nehru Siddhant Kendra, Salem Tabri Chowk near Sabzi Mandi, Salem Tabri near Petrol Pump, under Dugri Bridge, Samrala Chowk, Gill Chowk, MintGumri Chowk, Pratap Chowk, Sunet Chowk on Ferozepur Road, Lodhi Club Road and Rajguru Nagar Chowk.