Metro Bus Service: Smart traffic signals still not operational

Six of the signals are expected to become functional in 10 days.

LAHORE: The Intelligence Transportation System (ITS) installed for the Metro Bus System (MBS) might take another 20 days to become functional, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Peter Jacob, an Australian SCAT (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System) expert, supervised the installation of the modern fifth generation traffic signals for four days before returning to Australia on Sunday.

The signals have been installed at Gulab Devi Junction, Qainchi Junction, Gazi Road Junction, Kamahan Junction, Masjid Ibrahim Junction, Chungi Amar Sidhu Junction, Kalma Chowk and Azadi Chowk.

According to an MBS official, six of these signals are expected to become functional in 10 days but the signal at Kalma Chowk might take two more weeks. The Traffic Engineering Transport Planning Agency and the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited were carrying out civil works at Chungi Amar Sidhu, he said.

ITS Urban Unit Project Coordinator Muhammad Razzaq said, “We will complete work on seven traffic signals in a week.” The traffic signal at Kalma Chowk would take some time but would be put in an adaptive mode soon.

The wiring for ITS at Chungi Amar Sidhu had been damaged during civil works…Repairs to the signal would be made after the civil works were finished, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2013.