Page 13 - TT March 2025 for digital
P. 13
UPDATE
IN CONVERSATION
The Game called: Red light, Green light!
“The citizens of Mangaluru are quite disciplined in following traffic
rules including maintaining parking sense and wearing helmets”,
says K Ravishankar, DCP, Mangaluru
elcome to Mangaluru, a city He puts forward the challenge accidents involve pedestrians or
distinguished for its grand of manual traffic control at some two wheelers.”
Wpanoramic spectacular junctions, where officers battle He complains that pedestrians
which is now on the cusp of the scorching sun to manage the in their hurry, often cross roads at
being a smart city. Mangaluru’s tides of vehicles. The plea for well- wrong spots, leaving drivers with
street carry more than just engineered junctions are loud and no time to react. The solution?
vehicles, but is a bustling heart clear and the request has been Medians on dividers to restrict
for dreams and aspirations of its put forth to the National Highway pedestrian movement and rumble
people. But like every thriving city, Authority . strips to alert drivers to upcoming
it has its own challenges. Says Ravishankar, “The junctions. Other suggestions
The DCP has offered a proposal number of accidents on the by the DCP include more visible
for automatic and synchronized road continues to rise with road markings, speed breakers,
signals at traffic laden junctions 3-4 accidents being reported signboards and solar blinkers to
like Jyothi and Nanthoor. Upon daily. The alarming part is that guide vehicles safely.
the approval of which there shall a staggering 80% of these He adds on by saying, “Two-
be a smooth flow of vehicles wheeler riders though vigilant in
where drivers no longer have to wearing helmets, often ignore
fumble to guess the timing of securing the straps or use non-ISI
traffic lights. Ravishankar says, marked helmets bearing the severe
“Although the integration of injuries or even fatalities. The call
artificial intelligence and high- Mangaluru is more than for stricter enforcement of safety
resolution cameras is still in just its roads and traffic. measures is louder, as helmets
the pipeline, once the system It’s the people who are the first line of defence on
goes live, it will revolutionize fill its streets with life Mangaluru’s busy streets.”
traffic enforcement. These and purpose. After all, Parking violations are a rare
silent sentinels will keep an eye a city’s progress isn’t sight in Mangaluru as there are
on every vehicle, issue fines just measured by how dedicated parking lots built at
automatically for every violation fast its traffic moves, key locations like bus stands and
by directly communicating with railway stations. However, during
the National Informatics Centre but how safely and weekends, street festivals and
(NIC) and instantly alert the smoothly do its people any major events, the city faces a
vehicle owners.” get back home! massive reserved parking crunch.
Road of Challenges – Rashmi R D According to Ravishankar, the
people of Mangaluru have always
According to the DCP, the been disciplined when it comes
streets of Mangaluru tells a tale of to following traffic rules. But I
both progress and struggle. The urge everyone to be proactive.
traffic control department is not In case of any accidents, one has
blind to challenges like narrow to call 112 because this call not
lanes, lack of bus bays and the only summons the police but will
constant dance of construction also dispatch an ambulance to the
projects from various departments. scene for saving precious lives.
www.trafficinfratech.com / March 2025 / TRAFFICINFRATECH 13