Roundabouts should be removed from junctions with traffic signals

Traffic police, experts say both together hinder smooth vehicular flow

BHOPAL : Roundabouts and traffic signals are two different ways of regulating traffic and avoiding accidents at road junctions. However, some prominent road junctions in the city have both signals as well as roundabouts, which hinder the smooth flow of traffic.

Experts and traffic police officials are strongly of the view that roundabouts should be removed from road junctions where traffic signals have been installed.  At least, those roundabouts where there are no statues of prominent personalities should be immediately done away with. Traffic signals have been installed in the recent past at many road junctions including Depot Square, Tarun Pushkar Trisection, Suraj Nagar (Char Imli), Shivaji Square (JP Hospital) etc. Traffic police have told Mayor Alok Sharma and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials to remove the roundabouts as they are hindrance to traffic. BMC is supposed to remove roundabouts where there is no statue of any political personalities.

MANIT professor Sidharth Rokare said, “The roundabouts are actually a hindrance to traffic. There is no utility of roundabouts where digital traffic signals have been installed. If a traffic signal is functioning, only one traffic policeman is enough to regulate traffic and that too only to ensure that no one jumps the red light. Otherwise, signals are enough.”

ASP Traffic Samir Yadav said, “When we have installed digital traffic signals there is no use for roundabouts at road squares and trisections. They should be removed. Besides, there must be median or central verge and road signage as they help in regulating the traffic. We have requested the authorities concerned to remove the roundabouts.”