Traffic signals to be installed at major junctions

Udupi: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the traffic police have planned to install traffic signals at the important junctions in the district along the National Highway 66 with the aim to prevent accidents and to ease vehicular movement. The locations specifically under consideration are Santhekatte, Ambalpady and Katpady junctions.

The aforementioned junctions have busy streets and highway intersection points and hence the traffic signals are expected to play a vital role in relieving the traffic congestion here. The move come after the previously installed police barricades failed to provide the expected result.

Udupi district superintendent of police Laxman B Nimbargi said, “The proposed traffic signals are expected to reduce traffic jams which are getting worse every day. Controlling vehicles by deploying policemen at peak hours is not helping. Though traffic signals are not allowed on national highways, we cannot resolve the problem here without them.”

The proposal by the police will be forwarded by NHAI to the Union ministry of road transport and national highways to get its approval.

According to sources, NHAI has already installed traffic signals at some places in Mangaluru.

Most people who ply along these congested junctions have welcomed the move by the police and NHAI to install traffic signals. They feel that the traffic signals are a necessity here and its installation will help the public as well as the traffic cops.