The Kathmandu Valley denizens, bound to follow the traffic police hand signals in absence of operating traffic lights, can now heave a sigh of relief as the Kathmandu Metropolitan City is preparing to install the Smart Traffic Light in the main junctions of the capital.
The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, Department of Roads and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City are jointly taking the initiative to install the smart traffic light.
"Yarsha Technology, that is installing the smart traffic light, will install them first at 11 intersections and will gradually install at other places," MTPD DIG Sarbendra Khanal informed.
The company has started the installation of the smart traffic lights at various places including New Baneshwor and Narayan Gopal Chowk. According to DIG Khanal, the installation of smart traffic lights is on at Keshar Mahal, Durbarmarg, Putalisadak, Padmodaya Mod, Singha Durbar, Maitighar, Kalimati, Gaushala and Tinkune, among others.
Yarsha Technology has said that it would cost up to Rs 25, 00,000 for installing traffic lights at each junction.
Engineer at Yarsha Technology Siddhak Ansari said that it will require at least three months completing the installation in all junctions.
According to Ansari, the time of traffic light will be determined on the basis of traffic congestion. The MTPD is surveying on the flow of traffic in the different junctions. According to DIG Khanal, the time has been divided from 1 to 1.5 minutes in the traffic light.
"We are beginning our works to manage the traffic congestion in the junctions where vehicles will not require to wait for more than 1.5 minutes in the jam," Khanal said, "We are installing the traffic lights keeping in mind the number of vehicles, time required for vehicles to reach from one junction to another and the pace of vehicles."
Ram Chandra Khadka said that the traffic lights will be made from the wireless technology. "Traffic lights are powered by the solar," he said, "This will not affect them even in the case of power outage or during the road construction."
The installation of smart traffic light will reduce the human resources in traffic management. At least 1,400 traffics have been mobilized for the management of traffic in the Valley. The MTPD has estimated that it will not require 500 traffics after the installation of traffic lights.
Traffic lights installed at four places including at Surya Binayak, Kaushaltar, Gatthaghar and Sallaghari are currently in use.
The smart traffic lights will be set up in three places of Lalitpur Metropolitan City. The Lalitpur Metropolitan City has said that the traffic lights will be installed at Kandevata, Pulchowk and in front of Alka Hospital.
The MTPD has written to the KMC and the Department of Roads stating that the traffic lights have to be added at 34 places in the capital. It has also said that the traffic lights have to be fixed at Chabahil, Old Baneshowr, Maitidevi, Babbarmahal, Tripureshwor, Krishna Pauroti, Mitrapark, Airport, Gwarko, Satdobato, Jawalakhel, Ekantakuna, Lainchaur, Halchowk, Sohrakhutte, Balkhu, Samakhusi chowk, Mahalaxmisthan, Teku and Gairidhara, among others.
