Signal with no purpose.

The signal installed just before the HSR Layout 14th Main junction flyover has drawn flak from traffic experts as it is not serving any purpose.
If the installation of traffic signal on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) at HSR Layout 5th Main junction in Sector-6 by the Bangalore City Traffic Police is any indication, it seems there is a lack of co-ordination between the traffic police department and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
At a time when BDA is spending a whopping Rs.194.95 crore to construct four flyovers and an underpass on the ORR for seamless traffic and signal-free junction, the traffic police have installed an integrated solar-powered vehicle-actuated traffic signal just before the HSR Layout 14th Main junction flyover. The signal installation has received flak from traffic experts as it is not serving any purpose. This clearly shows that feasibility study was not done prior to the traffic signal installation. Most of the motorists do not obey the signal, driving away carelessly when the signal shows red.
Traffic expert MN Sreehari said that it was not a good idea to have a signal where seamless traffic and signal-free corridor have been planned on the ORR. "The concept of signal-free corridor has failed here. The traffic signal will be ineffective and does not serve the purpose. About Rs.6 lakh has been wasted for the signal and it was not essential. Solar-powered traffic blinker could have been installed instead of traffic signal," he said.
Justifying the installation of the signal, Madivala Traffic Police Inspector KC Lakshminarayan explained that it was set up in October 2011 under B-TRAC programme. "The junction was identified for the installation of signal to avoid road accidents, for smooth flow of traffic, decrease vehicular traffic density and traffic congestion towards Central Silk Board junction on Hosur Road," he said.
The inspector added that earlier vehicular traffic was diverted to HSR Layout main roads and cross roads to join the ORR during the construction of HSR Layout 14th Main junction flyover.
"Vehicles used to take detour through HSR Layout as traffic was diverted. After one ramp of the flyover became operational, a traffic signal at 5th Main junction was required since traffic was piling up at the Central Silk Board junction. It was to ease the vehicular traffic density at the Silk Board junction the traffic signal was installed," Lakshminarayan said.
Speaking to Cityplus, BDA executive engineer B Nagendra said that traffic police department would be consulted and asked about the feasibility of this signal.

The junction was identified for the installation of signal to avoid road accidents, for smooth flow of traffic, decrease vehicular traffic density and traffic congestion towards Central Silk Board junction on Hosur Road".

--RAGHAVENDRA R