Coimbatore City Police urge pedestrians to make use of pelican signals

With ‘U’ turns and roundabouts having replaced traditional traffic signals on major roads and junctions in Coimbatore city, the police are urging people to make use of the pelican signals that have been introduced at six places

With ‘U’ turns and roundabouts having replaced traditional traffic signals on major roads and junctions in Coimbatore city, the police are urging people to make use of the pelican signals that have been introduced at six places.

Pelican signals are currently functional on Dr. Nanjappa Road near Gandhipuram town bus stand, at Park Gate junction, Thudiyalur junction on Sathyamangalam Road, 11th cross on 100 Feet Road, Sungam and Varadharajapuram on Avinashi Road.

These signals were installed on a trial basis and the police plan to introduce them at other places based on the result, said a police officer.

At these signals, pedestrians can press buttons provided on the side of the roads to operate the red signal for 30 seconds. Green signal will be active after 30 seconds and pedestrians can activate the signal again after a gap of three minutes.

“The signal is easy to operate. But the only worry is that some vehicles do not stop when the signal turns red,” said G. Harini, a college student who used the pelican signal at Varadharajapuram.

Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan said the facility was introduced to enable safe crossing for pedestrians.

“We have plans to introduce one warning signal before the existing pelican signals, which will alert motorists of the pelican signal ahead of them,” he said.